Honey-Filled Days
by Elias Cook
Summary: Rika formed a gang and fought others in middle school. When her mom found out, she lost everything she loved: manga, martial arts, and her freedom. After years of pretending she'd become a perfect lady, she enrolls in Ouran for her last year and meets the Host Club who easily pry off her mask. Now a kidnapping threat looms large, can Honey help? HoneyxOC COMPLETE!
1. I meet weirdos, an old friend, and?

**Hi everyone! This is my very first fanfic so I hope you guys like it! Please review if you do! :D Or if you don't that'd be fine too. Oh and I won't be following the storyline. Characters are all the same, hopefully not too OOC. Hope you like it! **

**Names are in Japanese format: Last name, first name**

**Rated T for Rika's cussing.**

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><p>I'm Hayashi Rika, third year. My family owns a prestigious dessert company. We have several chain stores, from selling ice cream to cakes to cookies. We also have a well trained police force and a bookstore chain line along with a famous publishing company. A lot huh? That's cause my mom's side owned the bookstore and publishing company. My dad's side owned the dessert company. When they got married, they formed the police force. It's an interesting mix.<p>

When I was little, I took martial arts classes. I sometimes trained with the police force. Then right before middle school, a scandal occurred with the Hayashi Sweets. Employees were quitting. Employers were randomly firing people. It was chaotic, and my parents got their hands full with the scandals. When they tried to use the publishing company to clear it up, the Oshiro Press (my mom's last name) also got caught up in the scandal.

My older sis, Kimiko, was in her last year of middle school when I was in my last year of elementary. She went to Ouran High School. I took this chance to persuade my parents to send me to a public middle school. I told them that it'd get me out of their way and out of the public. They wouldn't have to worry about me or press coming to bother me. They agreed and sent me to a public middle school under a different surname.

Ah, those days were so fun! I found some misfits at the school and we created a gang. Yes, a gang! We went and fought other school gangs. And thanks to me, we always won. Not everyone in my gang could fight though. For the most part, it was just me, Akane, and Goofy. We were invincible!

I tried to keep the news of me fighting quiet. If my parents found out, I'd never be able to leave their sights again. I told my friends my situation. I bribed anybody who found out about me. Then, halfway through my last year of middle school, as the scandal was finally quieting down, the news of my gang slipped out.

My parents were furious. They stormed into our club room with some of their police force with them. They grabbed me and tossed me into the car and drove away.

They said it was Goofy that had reported to the principal. I never got a chance to ask him. I was dragged away before I could. But I don't think it was him. He knew that if my parents found out, I'd be gone. And he would never… ever… do something like that.

At least, that's what I thought.

I'm not sure if I still believe that. Am I just lying to myself? Ah, but who cares. I'll never see him again. Now, I've become a prim and proper young lady. I was immediately sent to an all-girls boarding school for the richies in Southern Japan. I stayed there for the remainder of my middle school. Then for two more years of high school.

I learned to not resist.

I acted the way they wanted me to. I was dainty and petite and pretty and quiet. I smiled a lot and spoke softly. I wore all the frilly and ugly dresses they wanted me to. I walked around with an umbrella to stay out of the sun. I did everything they wanted me to do.

But really, I was just biding my time. Once I was out of high school, I'd take the first chance to go study abroad. Kimiko-nee would probably take over the family companies anyway. I could find some business opportunity abroad and stay far away from my family. Forever.

I haven't fought in those two years and I can just feel my blood lust growing. Coupled with my short temper, and I knew I'd blow soon. Which would be bad, because I'd built up my ladylike figure for a while. Can't lose it now that I'm about to enter my last year of high school.

I got my parents to send me to a different high school. Finally! And it's not Lobelia, thank goodness. I'm going to Ouran.

Except… the hell is this?

Oh, excuse my language. I'm sorry, that really wasn't ladylike at all! Oh ho ho ho. Wtf? It's yellow, puffy, and…

"This is the school uniform?" I asked in my well practiced, sweet and soft voice.

My personal maid, Azumi, smiled and nodded. "Yes, Rika-sama. Isn't it cute?" Cute? It's absolutely hideous! I smiled back sweetly, though inside I was ready to tear the ugly thing to shreds with my bare hands.

"I wouldn't say it's cute, Azumi, but it certainly is… special." I said.

"Why don't you try it on?" She replied. I sighed quietly.

"No thank you. I'm sure it'll be just fine." I handed it to Azumi. "I think I'll go out for a walk. I'd like to look at the neighborhood for a while."

"Yes. Be careful, Rika-sama. And don't forget your umbrella!"  
>I sighed. Seriously who needs an effing umbrella to go walking? It's perfectly fine outside! I picked up the pink frilly umbrella anyway, checking out my clothes.<p>

I was wearing a black skirt that fell almost to my knees and the least frilly white blouse I could find. Before the middle school incident, I could get away with jeans in the house, but not anymore. My parents had my entire closet redone with nothing but skirts, dresses, and blouses. There are barely any t-shirts, hoodies, or sweatpants.

My shoulder-length black hair was in a ponytail tied up by my special red bow, with some strands falling out to frame my round face. I still have baby fat on my cheeks, plus I'm only five feet tall. It's not surprisingly that some people can't believe I'm already seventeen.

I opened the umbrella and headed outside. It was nice out, with the sun shining warmly. I walked down the long driveway and onto the well paved sidewalk. These richies probably repave the sidewalk every year. Or maybe every month or something stupid like that.

Next to our huge five-story mansion was a traditional Japanese home. What the hell is wrong with this neighborhood? Ah, excuse my language again. Actually, I don't care. Deal with it! My house is the modern kind but right next to it is a traditional one like this? What, do all the maids living there wear kimonos too?

A limo sped right past me, jerking to a stop in front of the house. What the… The door was flung open and a blond hopped out excitedly. After him came two twins with auburn hair and their arms around each other.

"Yay!" They shouted together. "We get to visit Haruhi today!"  
>What? I sighed continuing my walk, heading in their direction. Then another person came out of the limo, much calmer than the three before. He had short black hair and glasses and…<p>

Wait. Kyoya?!

"K-Kyoya?" I shouted in shock. Ah! I clasped a hand over my mouth. I can't believe I just yelled in such an unladylike manner! I whipped my head around, trying to spot if anyone was following me. It didn't seem like it. I sighed in relief.

"Ah, Hayashi-san," Kyoya said with a smile. "It's been a while. How are you doing?"

I nodded, bowing slightly. "Good." I smiled. What a lie. "Wow. I haven't seen you in ages." I did my girly giggle that I'd also perfected while at the boarding school, by copying those idiots there. "How are you? Is your family doing well?"

"Yes. Of course. We're all well. Thank you for your concern." He pushed his glasses up rather ominously. Geez, this dummy hasn't changed at all! He's still so… himself. He probably thinks I've gone crazy or something. Even when I was younger, I never acted this girly. And I rarely wore skirts or dresses. They drive me crazy because they hinder my movements. "You seem to have changed, Hayashi-san. You've grown up to be a-"

"Who is this, Kyoya?" The blond suddenly interrupted, shoving Kyoya to the side. "Ah, what a beautiful princess." He took my hand and produced a rose from absolutely nowhere. "This amazing weather can not be compared to your beauty."

What lame and cheesy lines. He's such a faker. But I smiled kindly and took the rose from him.

"How sweet," I said, patting the blond's cheek. "And who might you be? A friend of Kyoya's?"

"Yes!" The blond shouted with a delighted grin. "I'm Suoh Tamaki! And, princess, who are you?"

I smiled. God, my mouth/face muscles are probably my strongest ones at this point. "Hayashi Rika. It's a pleasure to meet you, Suoh-san." Not. "I'll be continuing on my walk now. Have a nice day." I bowed and side stepped around Suoh-san.

"Hey, hey. You can't just leave-"

"Without meeting us, now can you?"

It was the two twins, who had intercepted my path to pass this house. They grinned at me mischievously, as if they could see through my fake mask. I just smiled at them pleasantly. "Of course not. And who are you two?" I asked with another stupid giggle.

"Kaoru Hitachiin." The one on the left said.

"Hikaru Hitachiin." The one on the right said.

"Why, that's great." I said. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Now, if you will excuse me." I slid carefully between the two.

"Wait, Hayashi-hime!" That Suoh idiot shouted. "You can't leave yet! You haven't met the other two members!"

Oh my God. Is he serious? Do I look like I want to hang out with him? I was just here to take a stupid walk! I whipped around ready to glare him to death. Then I remembered: Ah, can't just start yelling. I'm not even sure if no one's following me.

So I gave him my greatest and brightest smile of all time. "Ah, Suoh-san." I walked over to him and pinched his cheek. "That's sweet of you to say, but I'd really like to continue my walk. I'm sure, over time, I'll get to know these other two members. Yes?"

"Y-Yes, Princess." He whimpered as I continued pinching his cheek. It probably hurt but whatever.

"And please don't call me princess, dear, Suoh-san." I said, keeping my smile. "Just what grade are you in, Suoh-san?"

"S-Second year," he replied. Geez, he was awfully pathetic. I let go of his cheek and smiled.

"My, Suoh-san. You're my junior then! I'm a third year. I hope to see you around tomorrow then!" I smiled then gave them all a sweet, dainty, perfect wave before walking away.

"Eh? Tama-chan, who's that?" A very childish voice asked loudly. I kept walking, pretending I couldn't hear them.

"Hayashi Rika," Kyoya replied calmly. Yes, yes. If Kyoya hadn't changed at all, then he could probably write a biography for me. Even when he was a little kid, he had that calm and calculating demeanor.

"Eh? But I want to meet her!" The kid said. Ah, so annoying. Was that one of their "members"? Members of what? The stupid and crazy club? I snorted at the thought.

"Takashi! Go!"

Huh?

Suddenly a tall guy was in front of me. Scratch that. Not a tall guy. A really, really tall guy! A tower! A tree!

"Eh?" I squeaked out. And on top of that tower was a tiny little kid with blond hair and carrying a pink bunny. What in the world. These people must be part of the circus or something. I smiled.

"And who are you?" I asked sweetly. The kid jumped off the tall dude's shoulder. Oh. He's shorter than me! Oh my God, he's shorter than me!

I giggled. Like seriously giggled. Not the phony girly one.

"You're shorter than me!" I couldn't help but say it. This had to be the kid. He stared at me with big brown eyes. Oh my God. He's adorable! I blushed. "You're cute! You're so cute!" Oh, I couldn't help it. I squealed like a fangirl. He looked like a little kid! Maybe he was.

"Ri-chan!" The kid suddenly shouted. I stared at him. What? Why was he talking to me so casually?

"How old are you?" I asked seriously.

"I'm seventeen!"

"What?"

"I'm Haninozuka Mitsukuni, but you can just call me Honey!" He continued to say in that overly cheerful and cute way. "And this is Morinozuka Takashi but you can call him Mori!" He said, pointing to the tall dude behind him.

"A third year?" I asked weakly. He nodded enthusiastically.

"And this is Usa-chan!" He said, shoving the pink bunny into my arms. It was cute. It was really cute. Omg, I have a weak spot for cute things.

"C-Cute," I blushed, handing the bunny back. Then the kid's name finally got through my head. "Eh?! Haninozuka Mitsukuni?" I said, wide-eyed and pointing at the kid in front of me. "The one who won first place in the Martial Arts Tournament thingy when you were only nine years old?!"

He nodded with a super cute smile. Omg, he was my freaking idol! "Seriously? Holy crap, that's awesome!" Oh. No. I just said something very unladylike. I blushed again. "Sorry! I mean. My goodness!" I smiled sweetly again. "That is very amazing!"

Honey stared at me like I'd grown another head. "What did you just do?" he asked curiously. Ah! I blew it! I blew my cover! Nooooooooo!

"I'm sorry about that, Honey-san." I said. "It's really a pleasure to meet you." Like really. This time I actually am happy.

"You're Hayashi Rika right?" he asked. I nodded. God, how long had I spent with these guys already? "The one who won first place in the National Martial Arts Tournament when you were only eight years old?"

"Yes." I said with a nod and a smile. "But that was a girls tournament and it was really easy."

"Wow. You're amazing too!" He shouted, jumping up and down. I blushed. Wait, what? Why was I blushing?

"Thank you. But it was nothing. Girls are easy to pummel- ack! I mean, girls are easy to compete against. An all-boys tournament would be much more interesting and far more difficult, ne?"

"But you were only eight!" Honey said.

"Y-Yes, I suppose."

"Hey," Twin one said, closing in on my left.

"It's kind of weird isn't it." Twin two said, closing in my right.

"The way you're acting." Twin one said with a grin.

"Is really suspicious." Twin two said.

"Is it really necessary for you two to complete each other's sentences?" I asked innocently with a smile.

"We heard what you said." Twin one.

"You're trying really hard to act ladylike you know." Twin two said. They wrapped their arms around me, sticking their faces really close to mine. I flushed. The hell is wrong with these guys huh?

"Stop it at once, you evil twins!" Suoh said, shoving the twins away. "This is no way to treat a princess."

"Tamaki, yes?" I asked, turning my brilliant smile to him. He froze.

"Y-Yes?" He said. My smile widened.

"Tama-chan," I said slowly. "I believe I already kindly requested that you not call me a princess?"

"Y-Yes?" He squeaked.

"And what did you just do? Tama. Chan."

"I'm sorry!" He wailed running away.

"Seriously," I said, crossing my arms and frowning. "What is with him?" He was sobbing loudly on the floor, and the twins were poking him like he was a fascinating new species.

Kyoya smiled, pushing up his glasses and letting them glint in that ominous way of his. "It seems you haven't changed after all, Hayashi-san."

I smiled. This time it was more genuine. "Ah, actually I have, a bit. You're just seeing the bit of me you shouldn't see nowadays." I sighed quietly. "And you can just call me Rika, Kyoya. I've known you for years."

"Is that so, Rika…"

"Ri-chan, do you want to come with us? We're going to pick up our friend!" Honey said, bringing my attention back to the adorable, little- wait. He's only shorter than me by like one inch. But he's still so cute! And he looks like he's much smaller.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that. My parents would be very angry if I left with a bunch of random boys I found on the street. I'd love to go with you though!" I smiled. I wondered who their friend was. Another idiotic guy?

"I think it'd be best if I continued on my walk," I said. "Bye!"

"Bye Ri-chan!"

"Bye!"

I smiled and waved and walked away.

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><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"It's like she has split personalities," Hikaru said, as they rode to Haruhi's house.

"She's nice though!" Honey said. "Right, Takashi?"

"Ah," Takashi replied. Honey grinned.

"Why doesn't she like being called princess?" Tamaki whined.

"She's really short though," Kaoru said. "But…" He turned to his twin.

"She would be a really good new toy," Hikaru finished, mirroring his twin's amused grin. "I wonder what would make her crack."

"It's not that she has split personalities," Kyoya interrupted calmly. "I believe it's because she's trying to act the way she's expected to."

"What, act ladylike?" Kaoru asked skeptically. He didn't see the logic behind such a thing. Kyoya nodded.

"But why?" Honey said, looking at Kyoya with big curious eyes.

Kyoya was silent, even though he knew precisely the reason why. He hadn't seen Rika since she went off to middle school, so he'd kept tabs on her through her files. And so he knew about the middle school incident. It was just like her to act the way she was expected to, then slip away from her parents' control the moment she could.

"Is she going to attend Ouran, Kyoya?" Tamaki asked with glittering eyes. "She could become Haruhi's new girlfriend!"

"Yes. She's starting tomorrow," Kyoya replied. "But she's a third-year. You should know that already."

Tamaki's happy face crumbled into a devastated one. "Aw. And she would have been the perfect influence on Haruhi."

Kyoya smiled. If Tamaki knew what Rika's true nature was, he'd never say that. Ah, but he'd rather keep this to himself. It'd be interesting to see what happened next.

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><p><strong>Please review! I really want to know what you think! And thanks for reading! :)<strong>


	2. Why is it them?

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all the favorites and follows so far! And special shout out to IDontReview and foxchick1 for reviewing! :D Thanks so much!**

**I'm not too sure how I'm going to pull off HoneyxOC yet... But hope you guys like this chapter anyway! :) This is going to be a bit slow moving for now so please bare with it. Enjoy!**

**Oh and unless specified, it is in Rika's POV**

**T for language**

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><p>"I'm back." I closed the umbrella and handed it to the door maid. She smiled, bowed, and left with the umbrella.<p>

"How was your walk, Rika-sama?" Azumi asked.

"It was alright, Azumi. I think I met our neighbors." I said. "The ones that live in the traditional Japanese home."

"Ah, the Haninozuka family," Azumi said knowingly.

"Yes." I replied, nodding.

"Rika!"

Oh dear. It was sis. I smiled. "Yes, nee-san? Is there something I can help you with?"

"Where's my makeup set?" she demanded angrily. She had long black hair, usually kept down, and she was tall. Much taller than me which is _so_ unfair. She was dressed in a simple frilly pink skirt and a brown hoodie. My sister had no fashion sense. She tried to wear cute and pretty things but somehow they just turned out… wrong.

"I don't know where they are, nee-san. Did you ask a maid?" I replied in a very calm and dignified manner. At least, that's my point of view. I headed towards the marble staircase.

"W-Well, no. Not really. I thought you'd know," she said, following closely behind me. She's so not ladylike at all. I scoffed very quietly so Kimiko wouldn't hear.

"Ask Azumi." I said, entering my room and closing the door in her face.

"Rika, that is really rude!" She shouted childishly before stomping away. I chuckled. Kimiko is so ridiculous. I can hardly believe she's already twenty.

In my room, I went to my bookshelf. I used to have a ton of video games to play and a ton of manga to read. After middle school, yup. They got chucked out along with all my sweatpants, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and everything my parents considered "unladylike." All my manga! All of it! Every single volume! I was so appalled. To this day, I still hold that grudge against them. It's one thing to throw out clothes, but manga? No. No way in hell does that just happen. And my video games!

My parents stocked up my bookshelf with "educational" and "proper books for a young lady like yourself." I've gone through numerous books about history, science, and arts. It's the reason why I don't ever have to study for those subjects. Math is a breeze for me too. And English? I got that down in middle school thanks to Akane.

So class has always been easy for me. At that stupid boarding school, I read every single book at their library. Unless it was so boring that I just couldn't continue.

This time, I picked out a book on knitting. I'd been trying to learn how to knit recently but to no avail. I settled down on my huge bed to read.

"Rika!" My door flew open to reveal Kimiko.

"What now?" I asked. She huffed at me angrily. She was probably hoping to find me doing something "bad" so she could tattle on me. Like what did she expect? For me to be secretly reading manga or playing video games? Or beating up some punching bag? My parents took away all my martial arts equipment and my treadmill after middle school. Seriously. I lost everything after that. Ah, they're such jerks.

"How do I look?" She asked calmly, straightening her hoodie. Nothing had effing changed about her appearance! Why was she asking me?

"You look fine, besides, aren't you just going out with some friends?" I waved her away easily, returning my attention back to the book. Wow, that's cool. You can knit stuffed animals! Did you know that?

"N-Not just some friends! Masahiko-kun will be there too!" She replied hotly. Ah, her sweet beloved crush.

"It's fine. You look like that everyday anyway."

"Rika!" She shrieked. "Ugh, fine. I don't even know why I bother asking you." She stormed out of my room without closing the door. How rude. I sighed and buried myself back into the book. How boring. Maybe Ouran will be a bit more exciting.

I gasped, a sudden beam of light reaching me. What if Ouran has bullies? Oh my God that'd be the perfect opportunity! I must befriend some wimpy people who get easily picked on! Then, when they're getting bullied, I can beat up the bullies. It'd be the perfect excuse for some fighting.

Ah, but that's really horrible huh?

Ugh. Whatever. There probably won't be any bullies. What a shame.

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><p>It's pink. Are you effing kidding me? Why the hell is the school <em>pink?<em> It looks like some princess's dream castle. Oh wait. Should I really be that surprised? I mean, I should have expected this after seeing the stupid, poofy yellow dress. What was even more disturbing was that I was actually _wearing_ the disgusting thing. Ah, can't blow my cover over some idiotic dress. At least it was made of nice material. It was really restricting though and even covered my feet from view. They had to tailor the dress so I wouldn't trip over it.

"A new student!"

"Aw, she's so cute!"

"She's really short."

"That's a big bow."  
>"Cute."<p>

Great, now these shallow idiots were gossiping about me. I smiled at them pleasantly, letting my "friendly" aura wash over them.

"She seems nice."

"I want to be her friend."

Ah, boy was I good at this.

"Ri-chan!"

Eh?

Honey waved excitedly while riding atop Mori. I froze in my tracks. Uh. Oh no! Now I'll attract more unwanted attention! And more attention means more chances that I'll mess up! Noooooooo. Wait. Honey's saying something.

"-do you have?"

"Uh, sorry?" I said, tilting my head with a confused and apologetic smile.

"What classes do you have?" he asked again patiently.

"Oh. Here. Do you want to see my schedule?" I handed him the paper. He nodded, taking it from me.

"Oh, Ri-chan! We share four classes together!" Honey said happily. "With Takashi too!" He patted Mori's head fondly. Mori nodded, as Honey gave my schedule back.

"That's great!" I replied, genuinely happy.

"Come on! First class is this way! Takashi!" Honey pointed to the direction I'd just came from. Mori nodded and quickly lifted me up.

Eh?

He set me down on his left shoulder, next to Honey. "A-Ah, Mori-san. What are you doing?" I asked as Mori started walking. I grabbed Honey's arm. "T-This is really dangerous. And aren't I too heavy?"

Mori shook his head. "Honey," I wailed, clinging to his arm. My balance wasn't poor, but riding on someone's shoulders with absolutely nothing keeping me there was really dangerous.

Honey grinned. "Don't worry, you won't fall."

We arrived at the classroom after a while. The entire time I was panicking. Sure, I was pretty short and small so it wasn't too awkward, but still… Besides, riding on a guy's shoulder absolutely went against proper behavior!

"We're here!" Honey shouted, jumping off Mori's shoulder. Oh yeah? Well, I can do that too! Ok. Nope. Guess that's not happening when it comes to Mori huh? He lifted me up and gently placed me on the floor.

"I could have…" I stopped myself. No, telling them that I could have jumped off a dude who's like six feet something probably wouldn't benefit my image. I smiled instead. "Thank you, Mori-san. Except next time, I think I'll choose to walk myself."

"Aw," Honey said with a frown. "But riding on Mori is really fun! Don't you think so, Ri-chan?" He gave me his innocent, flowery smile.

Yeah… no. "It's really dangerous, Honey-san." I replied, as we entered the classroom. Honey pouted then walked off to his seat with Mori right behind him. Did I just make him angry? Noooo, Honey don't be mad at me!

"Ah, you're the new student right?" Sensei asked with a warm smile. I nodded and gave her a sweet smile in return. "Aw, you're so cute."

What. Ah whatever.

The bell rang as students settled down into their seats. "Everyone," the teacher called out, clapping her hands together briefly to attract attention. "You have a new classmate. Go ahead, introduce yourself."

"Hello everyone," I said with my warmest smile possible. "I'm Hayashi Rika. The kanji for it is forest and valued fragrance. It's nice to meet you all, and I hope we all get along. Please take care of me." I bowed then smiled at everyone. I could see the kind smiles returned and happiness in everyone's eyes. Yup, I had them all under my control. Mwahahahaha- Ah, wait. I mean, they obviously all liked me was what I meant.

"Wah, so cute!"

"She's so tiny!"

"Did you see that she came in with Honey?"

"Oh, they'd be so cute together!"

Uh. Whaaaaat? Honey and me? No way! Honey's like ten levels above me! Not just in martial arts but in cuteness and I'm sure in academics too!

"Any questions?" Sensei asked.

"Hayashi-san," one guy asked. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Wow. This guy is bold.

"Don't ask her that!" The girl sitting next to him hissed, slapping at his raised hand. "That's so rude, Shu-kun."

"Eh, but I'm just curious."

I smiled. "No, I don't."

"Students," Sensei said rather annoyed. "Ask some more sensible questions, will you?" The class was back to murmuring.

"No boyfriend? But she's so cute!"

"Shuji-kun was so bold."

"Do you think he has a crush on her?"

"No way, already?"

I stared at Honey with my pleading eyes. Please just let this end already! I just wanted to be put in whatever seat and start learning boring things! He saw and just grinned, giving me a thumbs up. What? What does that mean? I'm doing a good job? Or is he just encouraging/supporting me? So unhelpful. Honey! I expected more from you!

"If there are no more questions, then Hayashi-san will go and sit down." Sensei said, talking over the students' chatter.

"Ah, Sensei, I have a question!" One girl said, raising her hand. Sensei nodded. "Hayashi-san, is your family the one that owns the Hayashi Sweets?"

"Yes," I replied. "Also Oshiro Press and the Oshiro bookstore line."

"Eh?" The students said collectively. Yeah, yeah. So my family was a big one. What do you expect huh? More murmuring. My God! These guys are as bad as the boarding school. I sighed mentally.

"Go ahead and sit next to Honey, Hayashi-san." Sensei said. Why was the seat right next to Honey's the only one open? What is this, a manga? Well at least that seat isn't right next to the window. But I feel like a lot of people would want to sit next to Honey, seeing as how cute he is. Is he not as popular here as I'd expected? I glanced at Sensei with an inquiring look. She smiled. "Girls always fight over who gets to sit there. Since you seem welcomed, they won't mind too much (for a while anyways) that you're sitting next to him." She giggled. What? This school is weird. Nevermind the ugly yellow dresses and that's it painted pink, the teachers are like this too?

Honey sat in the very last row. Sweet, out of the teacher's view, for the most part. I sat down next to Honey and smiled at him. He grinned at me in that super adorable way of his. OMG he's so cute!

Then class began. So boring. I knew like 98% of the stuff she taught, so I dozed while she lectured. So booooooooring.

* * *

><p>"Ri-chan, wake up!"<p>

"Mmm?" I shook my head as my gaze refocused on Honey, standing next to my desk. "Wh-What? Class is over already?"

"Yeah, come on!" He grabbed my hand, dragging me out of my seat.

"Hayashi-san!"

I turned, facing a huge group of boys and girls. Holy crap! What? Why are there so many of them? OMG I can't handle this many people all at once! Help meeeeeeee!

"Hello everyone," I said with a quick bow and smile. Honey still had my hand. He turned with a frown.

"Ri-chan, aren't we going to our next class now?"

"Eh, oh yeah!" Thank goodness there's Honey. I love you, Honey. Thank you so much for saving me! "Um, I'd love to see you guys, but I have to go." I smiled and waved at them as Honey dragged me away. "Bye!"

"Bye Hayashi-san!" They shouted/squealed.

"Phew, thanks Honey-san!" I said, as we walked to the next class. Mori followed as usual in that calm and quiet way. He was actually a really reassuring presence.

"You seem popular, Ri-chan." Honey replied with a grin. I nodded and smiled. "But should you really be sleeping in class already?"

"Eh, oh. Yeah," I chuckled. Genuinely too! "I can't help it though. It's really boring and easy." Honey glanced at me thoughtfully. And he was still holding my hand!

He grinned. "Maybe you should take some harder classes."

"Yes. That would be a good idea." I smiled back. Then I actually considered his suggestion. It wouldn't be that difficult to change my classes. I'd just transferred after all. "But then I'd actually have to do work. I'd actually have to study, so… No thanks!" I grinned. Genuinely! I don't grin much. My smiles are usually fake, but when I grin, it's real. I don't like flashing my teeth to just anyone after all.

"Ohh," Honey said slowly.

"What?" I asked, returning back to my fake smile.

He smiled at me mischievously. Geez, maybe Honey was even better than me at smiling! "Ri-chan's real smile is cuter after all."

Eh?

What was that cheesy manga-like line? What in the world? "We're here!" He said, letting go of my hand and whistling as he walked to his desk. What?

Man, I feel like an idiot.

Introductions and class gossiping. Here we go again!

* * *

><p>"Come eat lunch with us, Ri-chan!" Honey said, as we headed towards the cafeteria. I nodded. It was actually fun being around Honey. I didn't have to act too much because it was easy to be with him. He didn't annoy me or say stupid things. And Mori. Well, he doesn't say anything or do much except tag along, so there's not much I can complain about him in the first place.<p>

"You've already met everyone right, Ri-chan? Oh except Haru-chan." Honey said cheerily. Wait, I've already met everyone? Except Haru-chan? Who's that? A girl? Wait, wait. Stop. How do I already know everyone? It can't be… No. Please let it not be-

"Rika-hime~!" Tamaki the idiot was in front of me again. Nooooooooo.

"Honey-san," I sputtered, grabbing his sleeve. "Why do your friends have to be… this bunch?! Why?"

"Good afternoon, Rika-san."

"Kyoya!" I said in relief. "Thank goodness you're here too."

"Ah, it's Rika-chan." Twin one said, grinning and closing in on me.

"Rika-chan is here." Twin two said, mirroring Twin one. Boy are they good at stating the obvious.

"Hello. Twins. I can't tell you apart. Sorry." I said, sitting down next to Honey and… wait, is this a girl?

"Ri-chan, this is Haru-chan!" Honey said, gesturing at the girly looking… guy. Uh. What. What. What?!

"Hello," Haru-chan said with a gentle (genuine!) smile. "Fujioka Haruhi. And you are?"

"Hayashi Rika, it's nice to meet you." I replied. I stared at her. Big brown eyes. Wow. She's cute. Wait, I mean, he's cute. No way that's a girl… Unless!

My mind fell into the otaku world.

A girl crossdressing as a guy? But why would he/she do that? Gasp, I know! She had no choice but to! But how come? Or, a lesbian girl who really loves girls! What to do but to dress up as a guy to win the hearts of girls right?

No. Probably just a really girly looking guy. This world isn't a manga world. I sighed, opening up my bento box. "Itadakimasu." Then I started eating. Ah, Cook's food is the best!

"Cake! Cake! Strawberry cake!"

What?

Honey was eating an entire cake. For lunch. Is he crazy? And Mori's letting him? No one else finds this strange at all? Oh wait, that must mean it's normal.

"Haru-chan," I said. She- I mean he! Turned to me with those big brown innocent eyes. OMG s- he's almost as cute as Honey! "Does Honey-san always eat cake for lunch?"

"Yeah," he replied with a nod.

"R-Really?" I can't believe. Wait, yes I can. Honey's devouring the cake right in front of my eyes. Oh my God the people here are berserk!

"Hayashi-san!"

Eh?

"We have some questions for you!" It was a couple of girls and a few guys looking uncomfortable. Oh. Probably cause I'm surrounded by hot guys. Wait. Did I just call all these dumbos hot? Yes, I did. Oh. Gee. Lord.

"Of course!" I replied in my very fake, soft voice. "How may I help you?"

"What do you use to make your skin look so soft and pale?"

Huh? Really? They came to ask me that? Wow, these people have no creativity at all. I smiled at them. "I just use this soap thing that my parents bought me. I think it's organic but I'm not sure. If you'd like, I can go home and see and tell you later."

"Sure!"

But my skin being pale was a completely different story. I was naturally pale, which is really annoying. Cause I look almost sickly pale in the winter time. Ah, at least at the boarding school, even during winter, there was a fair amount of sunshine to tan my skin.

"Anything else I can do for you?" I asked sweetly.

The guys came forward, scratching the back of their heads awkwardly. Aw, they're shy. That's so cute. Unless they came here to ask pervy questions. Then that wouldn't be cute.

"You don't have a boyfriend right?" The first guy asked, avoiding my gaze. What, is this the question of the day?

"No, I don't." I replied kindly. "Anything else?"

"Uh um!" The second guy said with determination. "Will you go out with me then?" Ok, what the hell is wrong with these people? Do I look like a tramp just asking for a boyfriend or something?

Suddenly, it got really quiet at our lunch table.

"What did you just ask Rika-hime?" Tamaki asked in a low voice. Wow. Is this guy an idiot? How many times do I have to tell him not to call me a princess?!

"Eh, uh." The second guy backed away.

"I'm sorry," I replied, placing my hand over Tamaki's to keep him from doing something stupid. "But I really don't know you." I smiled. "I'd love to get to know you better though. So, for now, do you want to just be friends?"

"Uh. Yeah, sure!" The guy squeaked out then he ran away. Pathetic. I'd be damned to go out with a guy like him. He can't even stand his ground in front of a dumb second year.

"Tama-chan," I said, beckoning with my finger. He looked up at me and leaned across the table towards me. Then I pinched his cheek again. Still smiling, I said, "How many times, Tama-chan, do I have to tell you _not to call me a princess!_"

"Aieeeeee!" He burst into tears and ran away with the twins laughing.

"She's good!" Twin one shouted, while tears poured out of his eyes from laughing. Twin two just rolled around on the floor, dying in laughter. Geez, they're all so immature.

"Rika-san," Kyoya said. "Please refrain from harming Tamaki's face."

"And why is that, Kyoya?"

"Wait!" Twin two suddenly shouted, interrupting our conversation. "How do you guys know each other?"

Kyoya and I exchanged glances. I figured Kyoya would be better at explaining it. He sighed. "The Hayashi family has a police force and are good friends with the Ootori family. We've known each other since we were children."

"And," I said spiritedly. "Once, my parents even considered having me engaged to Kyoya!" The twins froze. Kyoya froze. I grinned, for real this time. Then I started giggling. "Oh my God, your faces are hilarious!"

The twins were still frozen. Kyoya un-froze though. He cleared his throat as if he were feeling uncomfortable. "That was a joke, yes?"

"No," I replied with a real smile. Then I laughed, quietly. Very quietly, because my real laugh was the real me. And I couldn't just expose the real me so quickly and so easily. "No, seriously, Kyoya. They really did consider it. Don't worry though. I talked them out of it." I kept laughing and even started banging the table quietly. Oh God, his face is hilarious. He's like frozen in shock. Ah, this is the best moment I've had all day!

Honey poked my side, and I turned, still giggling. He grinned. "Ri-chan's real laugh is cuter too, ne?"

This time I froze. What is he saying? Why does he say such things? I blushed. "H-Honey-san!" I squeaked. "What are you saying?"

"So all along," Twin one said. Oh, so they've finally regained their composure.

"You've been faking it." Twin two.

I stared at them. Wait, what? Did I miss a few sentences? "I'm sorry, but I don't really understand."

"Rika-chan!" Tamaki suddenly interrupted, jumping in between where Haruhi and I were sitting. "I've decided that I won't ever call you princess again."

"That sure did take you long." Oh crap. Did that really just come out of my mouth? Noooo, I'm gradually losing my mask. And of all people, to these people! The twins stared at me then grinned in that we-have-a-great-and-evil-plan way. Kyoya was still silent, probably still in shock but trying to hide it. Honey was eating his cake but watching us all with big curious super cute eyes!

Phew, nobody really noticed. Well maybe they did but didn't really care. Oh whatever. I sighed quietly and went back to eating as the twins began plotting some evil thing.

"Haruhi~!" Tamaki said, crushing the said boy in a hug. "Now you have a good girl friend! The two of you can go shopping! And-And do girly things together! Isn't that great?"

"Senpai!" Haruhi yelled, shoving Tamaki away. "Don't just go and hug people whenever you want to! Especially not when they're eating!" Aw, he's so cute. But wait. Why would I do girly things with a guy? I stared at Haruhi suspiciously.

"Um, Haruhi-chan," I said sweetly.

"Yes, senpai?"

"Are you a girl?" I asked with that same sweet voice.

"Yes."

Wow! So honest! So truthful! So innocent! Wait. She's a girl? This girly looking boy is a girl? OMG, my crossdresser theory was correct!

And suddenly Kyoya un-froze.

"Kyoya, why is a girl crossdressing as a guy?" I asked him. If anyone knew the answer, it'd be him.

"Meet us after school at Music Room Three." He replied. "For now, please do not tell anyone this information."

"Okay!"

But why Music Room Three? What would be waiting for me there?

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><p><strong>Please review! I'd love to hear your feedback! Are the characters alright? Nobody too out of character? Any suggestions? What do you think of Kimiko so far?<br>**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Oops! Did I Just Say That?

**Another chapter! Thanks again for all the follows and favorites! This chapter has a bit more development between Rika and the Host Club. Hope you guys like it!**

**Warning: Rika _really_ cusses in this chapter. Be prepared!**

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><p>Man, the moment class ended, I got bombarded by classmates. My last two classes were the ones that I didn't share with Honey and Mori, but they'd been kind enough to point me in the right direction.<p>

Here's the gist of what happened:

Them: Did you just move here?

Me: Yes.

Them: You're so pretty/cute!

Me: …Uh, thanks.

Them: Do you have a boyfriend?

Me: No. _(Why do they keep asking this? Why do they care?)_

Them: How do you have such nice skin?

Me: I use organic products _(How can they even tell I have nice skin?)_

Them: What middle school did you go to?

Me: I studied abroad _(This is the lie my parents told others when I went to middle school under a different name. It was to keep me out of sight.)_

Them: Wow that's so cool! Does that mean you know another language well?

Me: Sort of. _(Must act modest.)_ I know quite a bit of English _(Oh thank you so much Akane! I love you!)_

Them: Wow that's so cool!

Me: … _(These people are annoying. My facial muscles are going to be sore tomorrow at this rate.)_

Them: What about your two years of high school?

Me: I was at an all girls' boarding school.

Them: Wow!

* * *

><p>So unpleasant. And now I'm late to meeting Kyoya. Ahh, what a pain. I pushed open the doors to Music Room #3.<p>

"Welcome!" Voices chimed out as rose petals were blasted into my face. Oh, great. The group of boys (and Haruhi!) I'd sat with during lunch were in front of me again.

"Oh?" said Kyoya.

"Oh, it's not a customer." Twin one said.

"It's just Rika-senpai." Twin two said with a sigh.

"What is this?" I burst out. "Is my appearance a great big disappointment or something?" Oh my gosh, did I just say that? Did I just crack? Thank goodness, there isn't anybody else around. The twins exchanged grins. They came towards me, eyes looking like they were predators stalking prey. "Eh? I'm sorry! I mean, I was just really surprised by the rose petals thing!"

The twins wrapped their arms around my shoulders, while the one on my right closed the doors. Oh my God, if that wasn't an ominous sign, then I don't know what was. Plus it was the twins were were talking about! They are soooo freaky/creepy/evil!

They guided me further into the room. I started fidgeting with my hands. I could just tell, even though I was staring at the ground, that they were grinning over the top of my head. Oh and did I ever mention that they are really tall? Much, much taller than me?

"Kyoya!" I looked up, making a puppy-dog face. "Please save me from whatever the twins have in store for me!" Kyoya just stared at me blankly.

The twins started cackling madly. They sat me down on a white, princess-looking, cushioned chair. Then in a few seconds, they had me tied.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?"

Oh God.

Oh no. I blew it. It's gone. I've lost it! Noooooooo. Wait. Rika. Get your head back. I can't forget that I have my trusty red notebook. If all else fails, I can always blackmail them. Yes. Mwahahahahaha!

"So we were right." Twin one.

"You do have another side." Twin two. Gosh, I can't tell them apart. It's really annoying. What, should I just start guessing?

"Hikaru," I mumbled, staring at twin two. "If you would kindly untie me."

"You're wrong!" Twin two/Hikaru? said, jabbing a finger at me. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. But then I thought: they've already heard me cuss, so they might as well see my angry face.

Nah. It'd be better if I didn't get angry. Who knows who'd walk in.

I smiled at Hikaru(?) and said, "Then Kaoru dear-"

Hikaru grinned. "Wrong again!"

"What the hell!" I shouted. "Just fucking untie me, damn it!"

It got quiet. Really quiet. Like so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Scratch that. Not a pin, a feather.

"Well geez," I said. "Don't look like I just murdered someone." Everyone had frozen in place. It was quite amusing actually. Except Kyoya, who was calmly writing something in his black notebook. Probably noting just under what circumstances I finally got angry.

"Kyoya stop writing and make them stop gawking." I hissed. Tamaki was frozen in place with the most devastated look on him. He looked like I'd just smashed Haruhi's face in or something. Haruhi was just standing very rigidly with a blank look and slightly larger eyes. The twins looked surprised. They had jumped away from me as if I were medusa out to get them.

Oh Mori looked just the same, except maybe his eyes had widened a fraction. Honey was frozen, a lollipop in the air. Oh crap. Did I just cuss in front of Honey? I'm sorry Honey. I didn't mean to! He looked like he'd seen a ghost pop right up in front of him.

"Guys? Snap out of it." Haruhi finally said, being the first to come back to life. It seemed like her voice was magical or something because suddenly the frozen atmosphere shattered and everyone came back to their senses.

"Thank goodness someone like Haruhi exists in this group," I said with a sigh of relief. Now I waited to see what their un-frozen reaction would be.

"Oh my, who would have known," Twin one said, raising his arms in a shrug.

"That senpai would have such a dirty mouth?" Twin two said, again copying his brother's gesture. Why don't they act more individualized? It'd make it so much easier to tell them apart.

"Rika-chan?" Tamaki wailed, suddenly hugging my feet. "Why? Who has ruined my darling daughter?"

"And who the hell is your daughter exactly?" I snapped. I was seriously at the end of my patience. I was still tied to the chair!

"Mommy!" Tamaki sobbed, hopping over to Kyoya. "Our daughter is using dirty words again!"

"Mommy?" I said, staring at Kyoya. He pushed up his glasses and didn't respond.

"Ri-chan," Honey said, standing in front of me hugging Usa-chan. "Why do you use such words?" He looked like he was on the brink of tears. I stared at him. He was making absolutely no move to remove the rope that was still tying me to this chair!

"Honey-san," I replied through gritted teeth. "Would you like to untie me?"

Honey started to cry too. "But Ri-chan, I thought you were nice!" He ran back to Mori crying. Oh my-

"Oh my God!" I burst out. "If you guys are all done acting like idiots just cause I said a couple of swear words, will you freaking untie me already? Or would you like me to cuss some more? Don't be such overly sensitive idiots!"

Haruhi came over and began wrestling with the knot. "Sorry about this, senpai. Hikaru and Kaoru can go over the top." She said. I nodded in agreement and sighed, annoyed. Mori was busy trying to calm Honey down. The twins were murmuring with their heads together again. Tamaki was crying and complaining to Kyoya while Kyoya just calmly continued to write in his notebook.

Haruhi tugged at the knot then looked at me. "Uh, senpai, I'm sorry, but Hikaru and Kaoru really tied this well." She gave me an apologetic and sweet smile. Aw, she's so cute. "But you'll eventually be untied."

What? How long is eventually? She walked over to where Tamaki was now sobbing into Kyoya's shoulder. No. Haruhi! Don't leave me here!

She dragged Tamaki away from Kyoya and started yelling at him. Haha. Oh look, now he's in a corner growing mushrooms. Wow, that's some gardening skill. Haruhi's good at putting Tamaki in a depressed corner.

"Hikaru, Kaoru!" I growled. "Untie me at once!"

They whipped straight up in front of me with a grin and green caps in their hands. "Okay! But only if you win in the Which-One-Is-Hikaru game!"

"Why should I play this stupid game with you guys?" I asked, as they put on the caps and began to twirl around.

"Because you have no other choice!" The twin on the left said.

"So which one is Hikaru?" The twin on the right asked. I stared at them. I inspected their eyes, their faces, and then down. Their arms and torso and legs.

"How do you guys expect me to tell you apart?" I demanded, beginning to wiggle under the ropes.

Leftie grinned. "Does that mean you give up?"

"No way." I said. I stared at them again. Well, it was a 50/50 chance. I closed my eyes and decided to let my intuition take its pick.

"Hm…" I opened my eyes. "You, on the right."

"Wrong!" The twins shouted in glee, twirling around again.

"Guys, stop it!" Haruhi said. "She's right."

"I am?" I asked, surprised. "Yes! Now untie me at once!"

"Fine." Hikaru said. The twins came and quickly undid the knot.

"Geez, why did that take so long?" I said, kicking at the rope at my feet. "Kyoya, I clearly remember that you did not ask me to come here just so this could happen!"

"You're correct." Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses. "I was waiting for everyone to calm down before I continued."

"Well, please continue then." I replied, crossing my arms in annoyance.

"You must keep the fact that Haruhi is a girl a secret." Kyoya said calmly, still having not looked up from his black notebook.

"Okay."

"I told you it'd be easy," Haruhi said simply.

"Why should I tell everyone Haruhi's a girl?" I asked. "There's not much benefit to it, Kyoya. Surely you'd know that." I smiled in my evil, scheming way. (It's a real smile even though I think it can look kind of creepy sometimes!)

"Yes, because if you told everyone that Haruhi was a girl, I'd have to tell your parents that you haven't changed after all." Kyoya said, returning my smile.

"You wouldn't dare, Kyoya." I shot back, placing a hand on my hip.

"And why wouldn't I?" He was obviously asking for a fight. I smiled, retrieving my red notebook. It was the same color as my red bow. I opened my notebook and began tapping at the pages.

"Let's see. Ootori Kyoya. Born November 22nd. Currently sixteen years old and about five foot ten. Two older brothers and one older sister. Older sister, Fuyumi, is married. Oh! Kyoya, you're onee-san is really pretty these days! Wait, what am I doing? I already know all this!"

Kyoya smiled. He probably thought I was being stupid. I suppose in the end I couldn't possibly compete against his evil notebook and laptop.

"But you know Kyoya," I said with a sweet smile. "I hope you do know that I've kept some of those pictures your mom gave me. You know, like the one where you were just a wee little kid and wet the bed."

Kyoya flushed. Haha, I made Kyoya's face turn into a tomato. It was cute actually. "Rika-san." He said darkly.

"Don't worry Kyoya," I said. "I don't really want to ruin your image. I'm sure you feel the same way right?"

He stared at me and then sighed quietly. I was right! Next, I had to talk to Honey. He was sitting at a table and eating cake. Again?

"Honey-san," I said, walking over. "Are you okay? You aren't too upset are you?" He looked up from his cake and grinned.

"Nope! It's all good!"

Phew. I let out a great big sigh of relief. Thank goodness. I was starting to think that Honey would hate me!

"Oh, what's this?" Twin one, Hikaru I think, said.

"Could it be?" Kaoru set his arm on my shoulder, leaning closer as Hikaru did the same. I sighed. They need some more creativity when talking to others.

"That Rika-senpai cares about what Honey-senpai thinks of her?" They said at the same time. I frowned and then sighed.

I turned to them with a bright smile. "Of course I would, silly dears!"

They stared at me blankly. "That's really creepy." Kaoru said.

"Yeah. Please don't ever do that again." Hikaru said.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Those are brilliant faces you guys are making! Brilliant! Kyoya, did you just see that? Oh my gosh, you guys are all so cute!"

"Cute?" The guys (and Haruhi!) said at once. Actually, minus Mori and Kyoya, but they had both looked up.

"Yeah!" I said with a real smile.

"Ri-chan's really smiling again!" Honey said with delight. He ran up to me and hugged me. What is going on?

Oh my God, I'm hugging Honey! My idol! And he smells good. He smells like cake and sweets! My arms wrapped around him and I closed my eyes. Ah, it feels nice being hugged by Honey.

"Ri-chan," Honey said, pulling back and placing his hands on my shoulder. I opened my eyes, still smiling.

"Yes?" I said.

He grinned. "You can just call me Honey you know."

"Um. Okay?"

"And do you know how to bake cake?" He asked, suddenly looking very serious.

"Yeah. My family does own a sweet company."

"Will you bake cake for me then?" He continued. His eyes widened in excitement and he broke into a cheery smile. I stared at him. Was there a catch to this? Or a reason behind this?

"Sure?" I said, tilting my head in confusion.

"Really?"

"Yeah!" I nodded with a smile. "What kind of cake do you like best?"

"Anything will be good!" He said.

"Strawberry," Mori said suddenly, standing behind Honey and making the two of us look… so… short!

"Mori-san likes cake too? Okay! I'll make a strawberry one!" I grinned. "I'll bring it tomorrow. Is that okay, Honey?"

"Yeah!" Honey shouted enthusiastically.

"Oi, oi." I heard one of the twins mutter. "What's going on?"

"It looks like Rika-senpai is bonding with Honey-senpai." The other twin.

"Just because of cake?" First twin. Hikaru I think?

"What's this?" Tamaki said. "Cake? I want some cake too if it's being baked by you, Rika-chan!"

"Tama-chan," I said in a sweet voice that sounded like it could mirror Honey's. I turned around. Tamaki came over, looking like an excited and obedient puppy. He's cute! He's surprisingly so cute! "Tama-chan, have you forgotten that I'm your senpai?"

He froze. I started laughing again. He looked shocked, like someone had finally told him Santa Claus wasn't real.

"Rika-senpai is surprisingly sadistic." Kaoru said calmly. Kyoya nodded, as if confirming Kaoru's statement. Eh? Am I sadistic?

"Man, I haven't had this much fun in a long time." I said with a grin. "Thanks you guys! But I have to go! My sis is waiting for me." I headed towards the door.

"Wait, Ri-chan, you'll bring the cake right?" Honey asked.

I nodded. "Yup! And Tama-chan!"

He turned, looking at me tearfully.

"I'll bake a special cake for you!" I said with a grin then stuck my tongue out. "And watch it you devil twins! See you guys!"

"Bye!"

I hummed to myself happily as I walked to the school gates. I hadn't laughed this much since middle school. It felt great! Maybe those guys (and Haruhi!) weren't that bad after all!

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><p><strong>Please review! And thanks for reading!<strong>


	4. Cake! Cake! Why are there so many girls?

**Hey! Thanks for all the new follows and favorites! :D Please review you guys! And hope you enjoy this chapter! You get to see more of Kimiko... whether you want to or not. :P But there's also more HoneyXRika action!**

**Shout out to DreamTrance14 and QueenOfDarkHearts for reviewing! Thank you very much! :D**

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><p>Hm…<p>

I was staring at the fruit of my labors. One chocolate cake and one strawberry cake. I sighed, the decorating hadn't turned out as well as I would have liked it to be.

"Rika, what are you doing now?"

"My sweet, dear onee-san," I said in my fluffy voice, turning around with a smile. "What brings you here to the kitchen?"

Kimiko huffed, hands on her hips. "I came to ask you what club you're going to join." She glared at me venomously.

I gave her a bright smile. "I'm not sure yet, nee-san. Do you have any suggestions for me? After all, my brilliant nee-san must know a few good clubs to join, ne?"

Kimiko kept her "deathly" glare. Really it wasn't threatening at all. She'd obviously never seen my full power glare before. Finally she just sighed and turned around to leave. Wow, so rude! Just come in and yell a bit and then just leave?

"Check out the club list," Kimiko said with a wave of her hand. "I'm sure you can find a club suitable for yourself."

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><p>Azumi brought me the school's club list later. I flopped down on my bed, scanning the list. Oh! They have a kendo club! I've always wanted to learn kendo but that's probably not happening. Oh! Martial arts club! Sweet!<p>

Yeah, they'd never let me join.

What's this?

The Ouran High School Host Club? What?!

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><p>Honey told me to bring the cake after school to Music Room 3 again. Are they a club or something? Probably some lame club where they do whatever they want to… like eat cake and goof off. But why is a girl with them then?<p>

Ah, whatever. I don't care.

I called Azumi during lunch to tell her to bring the cakes after school.

"And what exactly are you planning on doing with the cakes, Rika-sama?" Azumi asked sweetly. Obviously she'd informed my parents on what I was doing.

"I want to share them with some of my friends, Azumi." I replied.

"And who are these friends of yours, Rika-sama?" Gosh, her calling me Rika-sama is so annoying. It certainly is a good reminder that Azumi is not and can never be a good friend of mine.

"Mm, there are quite a few, Azumi. But Kyoya-kun is one of them." I had to remember to put an honorific or else Azumi would think I'd gotten too close to Kyoya already.

"Ootori Kyoya?" She sounded surprised.

"Yes, I knew him when I was younger too. And Haninozuka Mitsukuni and Morinozuka Takashi. And the Hitachiin twins."

"And these are all young men?"

"Yes. Ah, but don't worry, Azumi! I've gotten to know a few ladies too. It's just that the guys asked for cake."

"And you just agreed to bake some cake for them?"

"Azumi," I said in my whining, pouting voice. "I just want to be their friend. Besides, I have nothing else to do anyway."

"Very well, Rika-sama." Azumi said stiffly.

"Bye Azumi." Then I quickly hung up. I sighed. Ah what a hassle. Can't even get cake delivered without having to answer twenty questions.

"Hayashi-san!"

I turned to the voice and found a boy and a girl standing in front of me. The girl grinned and waved. I smiled back, almost genuinely. She seemed like she was actually nice. Then I stared at her some more. Wait, she seemed familiar. And the guy standing next to her too. He looked rather uncomfortable, staring at the wall and away from me. He was probably only here because of her. She had her arm looped through his, pinning him to the spot.

"Hello," I said, coming up next to them. I smiled, tilting my head sweetly. "How may I help you?"

The girl smiled back. She had brownish-black wavy, long hair, with bangs covering her forehead. Cute! She wasn't much taller than me, maybe two to three inches taller. And she actually looked good in the hideous school uniform! "I'm Yukimura Naoko." She nudged the boy next to her. "Come on, Shu-kun. You were bold enough yesterday. Introduce yourself."

He turned, frowning and blushing. He had short dark brown hair, combed neatly and simply. He looked up at me, with startling bright hazel brown eyes. "Ts-Tsukino Shuji. Nice to meet you. A-And I'm sorry about yesterday." He went back to staring at his feet. Aw cute! I have a soft spot for shy guys because they're so cute!

"We just wanted to say hi," Yukimura said with that cute smile of hers. She had dimples and a pretty round face. I did remember them. They were in my first class, and it had been Yukimura that had scolded Tsukino for asking if I had a boyfriend or not.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied with a short bow. "You two seem like you'd be good friends to have." I did have to make some girl friends to keep Azumi's suspicions low.

"Eh, not really." Yukimura waved my statement away. She frowned. "You weren't too insulted yesterday by what Shu-kun said, were you?"

I shook my head. "No, no. It's fine." I stared at the guy in question. He was still staring at the ground and his ears were turning red. Awww.

"Hey, Tsukino-san," I said. "You didn't seem this shy yesterday."

He looked up again, still blushing. "S-Sorry."

"It's fine! I'm just wondering why you're suddenly so shy." I replied gently. These two seemed like they really would be good friends.

"Of course he's shy," Yukimura offered for her friend. "He thinks you're really cute." She winked at me as I blushed.

"Nao-chan!" Tsukino shouted, wrenching his arm away from Yukimura. Oh they must be really good friends to be calling each other by their first name. Yukimura giggled.

"Well you were being stupid, Shu-kun. I'm just trying to help you." She said innocently. Tsukino's face turned even redder, if that was possible at all.

"S-Sorry. Ha-Hayashi-san." Tsukino squeaked out, bowing his head down.

I chuckled too, really did. "You're actually really cute when you're shy, Tsukino-san." He raised his head, eyes wide. Yukimura just kept giggling quietly by the sidelines.

"Ri-chan!"

I turned and saw Honey running down the hall towards me. "Ri-chan! Come on! Let's go to class now!"

Eh? Wasn't there still like fifteen minutes?

Honey came to a stop next to me. I glanced at Tsukino who had suddenly paled. Yukimura was still laughing. She's cute too.

"Nao-chan, stop it." Tsukino growled, looking partly embarrassed and partly annoyed. Yukimura just laughed even more.

"Ah, okay. We'll be going too then. Bye Hayashi-san." Yukimura said through her laughter. She grabbed Tsukino's arm and they left.

I turned to Honey and was startled by the sight of him glaring and pouting at our classmates who'd just left. "Honey?" I asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?" He looked up, and I watched as his angry face dissolved into another bright smile.

"Yup! Come on, Ri-chan! Classtime!" He grabbed my hand and began bounding down the hall in that usual enthusiastic manner of his. I grinned.

"Okay!"

* * *

><p>"Thanks Azumi." I took the two cake boxes out of her hand.<p>

"Are you sure, Rika-sama, that you don't want me to help carry these for you?" She asked, _almost_ sounding like she was actually concerned.

"It's fine, Azumi. Having you bring the cake was troubling enough." I replied with a smile. "Besides, I'd rather present it to my friends myself."

"It wouldn't be troubling at all to carry the ca-"

"I said it was fine, Azumi." My smile widened and brightened. It was my new method of threatening someone: by smiling at them. I'd been trying to master the Unohana "smile" for a while. Yes, Unohana from Bleach.*****

"Y-Yes. Rika-sama," Azumi bowed. Oh. I must be improving to be able to send Azumi off with like zero fight. "You will ride home with Kimiko-sama?"

"Yes. This won't take too long, Azumi." I started walking towards the staircase. "Thanks Azumi. Bye!"

* * *

><p>The door was closed and my hands were full. "Excuse me," I called. "Could someone please open the door for me?"<p>

"Yes, Princess!" I heard Tamaki shout. Great. That idiot.

The door opened, and I was once again greeted by rose petals. What in the world? Why do they need these rose petals?

"Princess," Tamaki said, bouncing over to me. I didn't think he'd seen that it was me yet, since my face was hidden from view by the cake boxes. "I feel honored that you have chosen to come visit us." Tamaki produced a rose, kneeling beside me. Then he froze as he finally saw it was me.

I was glaring at him and would have loved to thrown the cakes in his face, but I could hear from the chatter that there were other people here.

"Tama-chan," I said sweetly, transforming my glare into a smile. "Would you be a dear prince and take these boxes out of my hands?"

"Is that the cake? Is that the cake?" I heard Honey ask excitedly, jumping over and snatching the boxes out of my hands before Tamaki had the chance to.

"Yes!" I replied.

"Yay!" Honey ran away with the boxes, hopping around happily. I smiled faintly. Honey was just too cute.

Then I finally noticed.

The room was full of couches and those princessy chairs like yesterdays. There were dainty looking tables and on them were dainty looking tea sets. I saw Haruhi pouring a cup of tea for…

HOLY CRAP! WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PEOPLE IN HERE?

And not just any kind of people… GIRLS!

"T-Tamaki," I said slowly, feeling one of my eyes twitch. "What's going on here?" But Tamaki was busy giving a rose to a blushing girl who'd just appeared at the open doors. The twins were performing some incestous act while girls sitting around them shrieked and fangirled to death. Haruhi was chatting easily to some other girls, who were all blushing madly. Honey was eating cake, not mine, while Mori sat by watching Honey. The girls around them squealed at Honey's adorableness and admired Mori's handsomeness… I guess.

That left only Kyoya, whose ominous and sometimes imposing character left him sitting at a plain table by himself tapping away on his laptop.

"Kyoya!" I shouted, racing to his side. "Please tell me what's going on!"

He looked up. "Oh. Rika-san, so you've come."

"Yes, I did."

"This is the Ouran High School Host Club." He replied calmly.

"Ohh," I said, as if that had just explained everything. "Wait! The Host Club? What? Why? What? What is the purpose of this club?"

"We entertain ladies, of course," Kyoya said, continuing to type. He said it as if it was matter of fact, as if I should have known this.

"And that's why Haruhi is… you know?"

Kyoya looked up again with a faint smile. "Yes. He broke a very expensive vase in our club room, and being a commoner, he had no means of repaying us. So we decided that he could host instead to pay back his debt."

"Let me guess," I said with my glaze eyed look (-_-). "The vase is actually only like 1 million yen? But you probably told Haruhi it was like 10 million or something."

"Rika-san, you never cease to amaze me." Kyoya replied in turn. It was basically his way of saying I was right, sort of.

I sighed. "You haven't changed at all Kyoya. Except maybe you've gotten even more money-hungry. Ah, whatever. I'm going over to Honey." Kyoya nodded as I headed to where the two cake boxes still sat on a chair.

"Honey-san," I said, putting on my mask again (not literally of course). "What should I do with the cake then?"

"Let's eat it later!" He gave me a big beam. "With everyone!"

"AW!" The girls said in unison.

"When's later then?" I asked. "I'd like to be here to hear your feedback on how it tastes and looks."

"After club activities, of course." Honey said, putting on the cutest face possible. It was probably to distract the girls nearby so they wouldn't really hear what he had just said. They probably wouldn't like the idea of one girl (hehe, technically there are two! They just don't know it) staying after to hang out with the Host Club.

"Okay then. Is there a fridge nearby to put them in?" I picked up the boxes again.

Honey nodded before turning to this cousin. "Takashi, can you help Ri-chan with the cake?" Mori nodded, got up, and scooped the boxes out of my hands easily.

I followed him into the backroom, where he tossed it into the fridge. Geez, he could have treated them a bit more gently. "Thanks, Mori-san." I said as we walked out of the backroom. He turned towards me and nodded, with just a small smile. Wow, Mori can smile!

Then he went back and sat down next to Honey. I went and sat with Kyoya, pulling out my homework and my cellphone. Even though I already knew everything, there was still homework to be completed.

"Onee-san?" I said when Kimiko finally picked up her phone. She had always been slow at everything.

"Ah, Rika-chan." Kimiko said cheerily and so fakingly sweet that I wanted to gag. She was probably with her crush. What was his name? Masahiko or something? Whatever, who cares. Well whatever, it always benefits me if she's near him. One because she acts like an idiot and says yes to everything. And two because she treats me extra-nice so that way she can look like a good sister in front of that dude.

"Kiki-nee," I said, using the nickname she absolutely hated. Okay, so maybe I am a bit sadistic. "I was calling to say that I'll be coming home later."

"Eh, is that so?" She said in an overly surprised tone. "Well, Riri-chan, how long will it take?" Another good thing is that she forgets to ask certain other questions she usually would, like why I'm staying so late.

"After club activities, like maybe a half-hour after it."

"That is late, Riri-chan." In the end, I guess the twins can't beat Kimiko at stating the obvious.

"And when are you going home, Kiki-nee?"

"I'm not too sure, Riri-chan."

"Well, I'll just call Azumi to pick me up when I'm all done then. How does that sound, Kiki-nee?" I could tell Kyoya was staring at me, probably really annoyed by my overly sweet tone and dragging conversation.

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Riri-chan."

"So don't bother waiting for me, Kiki-nee." I said. "I'll see you at home!"

"Yes. Bye!"

I hung up immediately. It's a good thing Kimiko usually doesn't remember half of what we said when we do get home.

"How is your sister?" Kyoya asked.

"Ah, sorry about that. She's fine, I guess. Certainly better off than me." I started working on math. So tedious. I hate graphing!

"What are your plans once you graduate?"

"I want to go study abroad. I think Europe will have lots of business opportunities that I could take advantage of. What do you think, Kyoya?"

He nodded. "A fair idea. Does that mean you plan to leave Japan and live abroad too? Instead of taking over your family companies?"

"Of course." I sighed. "Kimiko doesn't want to hand over any of the family business. She thinks she can deal with all of it herself. I guess if she finds a suitable husband who doesn't have a big business, it'd work out. But I doubt she will."

Kyoya smiled. "You're going to completely abandon them, hm?"

I returned his smile with my mischievous "evil" one. "Of course. Considering what they've put me through, it's only fair. Besides, I can start my own business and reap more gains than anything Kimiko can get out of our family business."

"Harsh."

"The truth always is."

* * *

><p><strong>* Just google Unohana's smile and you'll find plenty of pictures.<strong>

**Please review! I'd like to hear your thoughts and any suggestions! Next chapter has more action in it! :D And thanks for reading!**


	5. Honey's home and little bro

**Since there were more follows and favorites, here's another chapter! The story is picking up! :D Hope you guys like it!**

**Shout out to DreamTrance14! Would you like some bunny-shaped, pink frosted cake? :P Lol yeah, she can be. That's why she gets along with Kyoya! ^_^ Thanks!**

* * *

><p>"I made a chocolate cake for Tamaki," I said, as I opened the two boxes and pulled out the cake. The chocolate cake had chocolate cream filling and its top was covered by a round sheet of dark chocolate. It wasn't very big even though I was sure Honey could have eaten both the cakes easily.<p>

"Here, Honey." I took the knife Haruhi had brought over and cut a piece of the larger strawberry cake for Honey. I used vanilla cake with strawberry slices in the middle of it. I'd also mixed strawberry cream with some vanilla cream and put more strawberries on the top. "Is this enough?" I dumped a huge slice onto a plate, handing it to Honey.

"Yes! Thank you, Ri-chan! Itadakimasu!" He started eating immediately as I served the others.

"How is it, Honey?" I asked with a smile, as the others began eating too.

"Good! It's really good, Ri-chan!" He shouted with a big grin. His face was covered in the cream. I chuckled. That was a relief.

"Wow, Rika-senpai," Haruhi said, an astonished look on her face. "This is delicious." She went back to eating as the twins and Tamaki cooed over how cute Haruhi was.

"Really? Great! Thanks!" I grinned, delighted.

"Who knew Rika-senpai," Hikaru said with a grin.

"Was this good at baking," Kaoru finished.

"Of course," Kyoya said, pushing up his glasses. "Rika-san helps out with the Hayashi Sweets by designing and baking some of their newest treats."

"Amazing! It's delicious!" Tamaki said in his usual enthusiasm.

I smiled. "Thanks Tamaki."

* * *

><p>"Kyoya, I need to join a club. Any suggestions?" I said, as I sat down next to Haruhi for lunch. It was the next week, a Wednesday, and Kimiko had been pestering me about clubs. She said that Mom and Dad wanted to know. I don't know what the big deal is. I'd been staying after school doing homework either at the library or the Host Club. Why couldn't I just keep doing that? Kyoya looked up and smiled.<p>

"Yes. Why not join the Host Club?"

I choked on my piece of rice and started coughing. "Wh-What? Why should I? What would I even do?"

"You could help out with the club," Kyoya replied. "Currently I'm the only one managing the club."

"But you're Kyoya!" I said, as if that explained everything. He gave me a threatening look, silently saying I should shut up. "I mean, you probably have it all down. Right?"

"I have to manage the club's budget. I have to prepare costumes, sell Host member products, and I have to deal with these people." He waved his hand lightly at Tamaki and the twins, who were hassling Haruhi.

"Hm… But I want some profit too."

"If you want money, Rika-san, you should get a job, not join a club."

"Why would Rika-senpai," The twins wrapped their arms around my shoulders. "Need to get a job?"

"Do you think my parents give me any allowance at all?" I asked. They glanced at each other and then nodded. I shook my head.

"Those jerk-wads took away everything." I said quietly, so only the nearby Host members could hear. "My manga, my video games, and all my martial arts equipment. And all my comfortable clothes."

"Eh?" The twins said in unison. "Why is that?"

Oh. Did I just seriously tell them that? Crap! I was talking as if they knew what had happened in middle school. I wouldn't be surprised if Kyoya already knew, but the other members probably didn't.

"Nevermind. Forget I said that." I mumbled, going back to eating.

Kyoya watched with an amused expression. Yeah, he definitely knew what had happened. I sighed. This sucks.

"What happened to Ri-chan's martial arts equipment?" Honey asked, wide-eyed.

"All thrown away probably," I replied with a pout. "If my parents had any of Kyoya's sense, they would have sold it."

Kyoya smiled. I guess he took that as a compliment.

"Why'd they take it away?" Honey said, regaining my attention.

I frowned. "Because they're meanies."

"Hayashi-san!"

It was the girls from last week. My frown quickly melted away and I put on a bright smile. "Hello, Sato-san, Narita-san." I got out of my seat to talk to them. Apparently they hadn't forgotten that they'd ask me what beauty product I used. Luckily, I hadn't either. We chatted for a while and I wrote down the name of the soap I used. Then I waved them goodbye and returned to my seat.

"Are you sure you're not bipolar?" Kaoru asked. I stared at him, making him squirm in his seat after a while. Then I smiled and nodded.

"Positive… Kaoru. Right?"

"Wrong!" Kaoru shouted.

"She's right." Honey said simply.

"Yay! I'm right!" I said in glee. Kaoru frowned, making a cute pouty face. Aw.

"Ri-chan, why don't you join the martial arts club then?" Honey asked sweetly. "You like martial arts right? Then you can practice all the time."

"You're right! It's a great idea!" I said, stamping my fist in my open palm a few times. "But that won't work cause my parents would have a fit if they found out!"

Honey frowned, putting on a thoughtful and almost serious face. Then he grinned. "You can come over then! We have a big dojo!"

My eyes widened at the thought. "Really? I can go over and spar with you?"

"Spar with me?" He repeated. "Yeah! Sure!"

"Wow! Cool!" I grinned. I could see Honey's house! And his dojo! "Wait, but you can't let my parents find out. Or anyone in my house for that matter."

"Why?" Honey asked innocently, still maintaining that flower producing grin.

"Uh… reasons," I said, scratching the side of my face hesitantly. "They don't want me to practice martial arts anymore."

"Eh, but didn't you use to train with your police force?"

"Yeah, used to. Heh. Heh."

"Okay! Then you should come over today!" Honey suddenly declared. "What do you think, Takashi?" Mori nodded.

"What?" Tamaki shouted, sticking his face near mine. "Rika-san is going to play with Honey-senpai?" Hey, how come he didn't call me a senpai? Hmph.

"We want to go! We want to go!" The twins chanted, arms around each other.

"Honey-senpai does live next to Rika-san afterall," Kyoya said, as if his logic could possibly combat Tamaki's lack of it.

"Can we go too?" Tamaki asked with big puppy eyes. Gosh no. I have a weakness to all cute things and Tamaki was transforming into one.

"Honey," I squealed. "Tell him no."

"Sure!" Honey shouted. "Tama-chan can come too! You guys can all come!" What? Honey, how could you do this?

"Haruhi, you come too!" Tamaki said excitedly.

"No thanks. I have to go home and study."

"Aw, but Haru-chan," Honey said, turning on his own puppy dog look. Haruhi watched with bored eyes then shook her head. Yeah. Haruhi was much better at rejecting Tamaki…

* * *

><p>Or not.<p>

Haruhi got dragged along with and so we were all now standing by the door of the Haninozuka mansion. I would have gone and done homework in the library if I hadn't bumped into Honey and Mori, who then insisted (well only Honey) that I come with them to the Host Club. So I'd done homework there next to Kyoya. Again.

Except he'd interrupted my homework with a spreadsheet and asked me to calculate the Host Club's expenses thus far. God, it wasn't hard but there were so many things to add.

So after I was done, I handed it to Kyoya and said, "That will be 500 yen (about $5), Kyoya."

Kyoya had looked up, seeming slightly stunned. Then he frowned and took the paper, checking over my calculations. "I'm sorry, but you did not discuss payment before you did this. Therefore, I believe no payment is due."

Ah man, really can't underestimate Kyoya. So I said, "Fair enough. Just know that the next time you'll need to cough up some money."

And he didn't bother me again!

"Come on in, everyone!" Honey shouted, kicking off his shoes and dashing into his traditional Japanese home. We followed suit. It seemed everyone else had been in here before except Haruhi and I.

"So you haven't been here before huh?" I asked Haruhi as we followed Honey on a tour of the mansion.

"Nope. It's huge." Haruhi said. "And beautiful." I nodded with a smile.

"And look, you can see Ri-chan's home from here!" Honey was saying, pointing at my house through an open door.

Eh? What?

"Wow! Rika-san, let's go to your house later!" Tamaki shouted.

"Yeah. No." I replied quickly.

"Your house is huge," Haruhi said.

"We want to see Rika-senpai's house too!" The twins shouted. I shook my head.

"Yeah!" Honey agreed, bouncing around with Usa-chan in his arms. "Ri-chan, you should invite us over someday."

"Sure. Someday." I said. Kyoya wrote something down in his black notebook. Geez, I wonder just how much blackmail information is in there.

"What's all this noise?" A voice said from behind us. I turned and found myself staring at an older looking version of Honey. He was about the same height as me, maybe a bit taller (gasp!) and he had glasses on. Plus he looked really grumpy.

"Chika-chan!" Honey shouted, whirling around with his usual grin.

Chika-chan? Click, click, click. Ding! Oh.

"You're Honey's little brother!" I said, wide-eyed. "Oh. Aren't you the one that placed first place when you were thirteen? Wow. So cool! So cool!"

"Is Rika-senpai fangirling?" I heard Hikaru ask quietly.

"I think she is." Kaoru replied.

I scowled and glared at them. "Shut up! Today is freaking amazing! I get to finally beat something up! And now I'm meeting another child prodigy!"

It got really silent.

I frowned, crossing my arms and turning away. "Well, you guys don't need to get all excited along with me."

"Mitsukuni," Chika said, still maintaining his own scowl. "Who-Who's this?" He pointed at me and then at Haruhi. I guess he met the other Host members before.

"Fujioka Haruhi, nice to meet you." Haruhi said politely, bowing.

I smiled and copied Haruhi. "Hayashi Rika."

"Eh? Hayashi Rika?" This time Chika was surprised. "Y-You're the female prodigy!" He made it sound like I was some strange species.

I frowned. "Not at all. I bet you could beat me easily."

"Really?" Honey said, bouncing over to my side. "Want to try, Ri-chan?"

"Wait, Mitsukuni," Chika said, suddenly taking on a defensive position. Honey sighed, handing me Usa-chan and mirroring his younger brother's posture. Huh? What's going on? I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Mori by my side. He gently tugged me away as everyone cleared room for the two brothers.

"Mori-san, what's going on?" I asked, hugging Usa-chan to me. It was soft and cute and smelled like… sweets. I guess that's expectable huh.

"It's the Haninozuka family tradition," Kyoya replied. "Whenever they met, they must duel each other."

"Isn't that bothersome?" I asked. "Imagine how much furniture is destroyed in the process."

Luckily the duel was brief and I wasn't surprised when Honey won. He came back to my side with a grin, looking as if he hadn't just been fighting. "Let's go to the dojo then, Ri-chan!" I nodded, holding Usa-chan out for him.

"You keep her for now!" Honey replied. "In case I meet Father."

Hm? Oh dear, I really hope we don't then.

The dojo was huge! The wooden floor was clean and nearly sparkling. Everything was so neat and orderly. And to the side, yes! Dummies! Sweet!

"Wow." I said, taking it all in. I hugged Usa-chan, squealing in excitement. "OhmyGod ohmyGod this is so freaking awesome!" I joined Honey in jumping up and down. Chika was watching from the side, probably thinking I was stupid.

"You're really weird." He said. Ah, I was right.

I grinned at him. "Want to spar then?"

He glared at me then let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. I want to see how good you are too." I frowned, as I handed Honey Usa-chan and everyone cleared room for us.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to." I replied. "Besides, I'm probably rusty. But don't go easy on me, okay? Go all out!"

Chika gave me another look that obviously said: You are really weird and I have no idea why I'm doing this. I grinned in response. "Cheer up! Don't be so uptight all the time!" He scowled some more.

"Rika-senpai," Haruhi said. "Are you going to fight in your uniform?"

Huh? Ohh…

"Ah," Chika said, as if he had just noticed too.

"It's okay." I said with a smile. "I've fought before in dresses and skirts."

"But wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage?" Hikaru asked. Well, duh. It's not easy to move around in long dresses or skirts.

"It's okay!" Honey said. "I've got a gi!" He dashed off and was back with the white outfit. "This is my size so it should fit you too!"

My size. Haha, it's Honey-sized… Wait, that means I'm Honey-sized?

"I'm Honey-sized?" I said, taking the clothes from Honey and staring at the Host Club. The twins nodded.

"Of course you are, you're just a bit taller." Kaoru said.

"And you guys are both really skinny." Hikaru said.

"You know, that means," Kaoru grinned at his twin.

"Making clothes for you," Hikaru said slowly while nodding at whatever unspoken plan that had just formulated.

"Would be super easy!"

Oh dear. What does that mean? Whatever. I'm not even going to bother. I went into the bathroom and changed quickly.

"Done! Now let's go, Chika-chan."

"Don't call me that." Chika said with another scowl as he took off his glasses. Oh, does that mean he's getting serious? Hehe, yes. Finally a fight with another person. "It's Yasuchika." Okay. I really don't care.

"Ready," Honey said. "Go!"

Did he just skip Set? Whatever. I launched myself at Chika, opting to stay low to the ground and swung a punch at his stomach. He hopped backwards to avoid, but I was already taking another step forward, swinging at his face this time.

Again, he backed up. I stood up, frowning. "Aw, come on, _Chi-chan_. Quit running away, will you? You could at least dodge or block." I grinned and saw him swallow. Is he nervous? Why?

I charged again. This time Chika blocked my blows. I attacked him with punch after punch and even though he dodged and blocked well, he was slowly being pushed back. "Stop being a wussy and punch back, Chi-chan!" I shouted. "Don't be afraid to hit me!"

"What happened to my darling daughter?" wailed Tamaki. Geez, what a dummy. What is he saying?

"Rika-senpai has a scary face on."

He finally swung an arm forward, aiming for my stomach. Good. A bruise on my stomach would go unnoticed but not one on my face. I dodged, a hand landing on the ground. Then I kicked at his feet, supporting myself with the hand. His eyes widened. He tried jumping to avoid my feet, so I twisted my body and kicked his legs, knocking him to the side.

He rolled and jumped straight to his feet.

"Nice," I said with a grin. "Aim for anything except my face okay?"

Chika frowned and lunged at me. I dodged and parried back. We started hopping around, dodging and attacking again and again.

Are we even? Or is he still holding back?

"Come on. Quit holding back!" We kept going at it for a while. I landed a blow on his upper arm, just as he caught me at the side.

"Should we stop them?" I vaguely heard Hikaru I think say.

"It's okay!" Honey said. "I think Ri-chan is good."

Then a trick popped into my mind. I'd used it before several times during my gang years. It worked wonders!

I took a step back. He followed. We were again at each other, blow against blow. Then I pulled my left knee up. Chika stumbled backwards, obviously expecting I'd get his weak spot. He lost his balance. I shot off my right foot, leaping on top of the younger boy. We fell down on the ground with a loud thud.

"Ow," Chika said, wiggling under me. "G-Get off!"

"Did I win?" I asked, perched on top of him.

Chika scowled, refusing to look me in the eye. "That wasn't fair." He mumbled. "You faked it." I grinned.

"Ri-chan wins!" Honey shouted, running to my side and pulling me off his brother.

"Chika-chan," I said, helping the boy up. "That was fun! We should do that again!" He still had on that nasty, mean expression.

"Yeah right. You played dirty didn't you?" Chika asked.

I grinned. "You can't call that dirty. It was a fake pass. I was just aiming at a usually untouched place. But what do you expect? I fought dirty for two years. Sorry about it. It's instinct and habit at this point."

"Fought dirty?" The twins echoed. I sighed. Did I just say that? Boy. My story is just slipping right out.

Then the clapping started. I turned, startled by the sound. A gruff looking man, with blond beard, mustache, and hair, stood by the doorway. He was smiling. "That was an excellent performance."

Yasuchika scoffed, turning away.

"Good afternoon, Father." Honey said with a bow. Oh. That would explain the resemblance. I bowed along with the other Host Club members.

"I'm Haninozuka Yorihisa," The old man said, looking at me expectantly.

"Hayashi Rika. A pleasure to meet you." I replied.

"A friend of Mitsukuni?" Haninozuka asked. I nodded. "Aren't you also an excellent martial artist?"

"Eh?" I chuckled, embarrassed by the attention. "No. Not really."

"To beat Yasuchika though…"

"He was obviously holding back since I'm a girl." I said easily. I turned to the younger boy. "Right, Chi-chan?"

"Tch. Of course," Chika replied, still not meeting my eyes. The Haninozuka head chuckled.

"Yasuchika is talented. Hayashi, you're the youngest daughter of the Hayashi family, yes?"

I nodded.

"My, you've certainly grown since the last time I've seen you!"

Huh? And when was that? I tilted my head in confusion. "I'm sorry. I don't really remember…"

Haninozuka chuckled again. "Of course you wouldn't. I saw you when you were just a toddler. I've been friends with your parents for years. Don't you know that I also helped out in forming your police squad?"

"Eh?" Everyone said, except Kyoya because he probably already knew. Haruhi and Mori were also silent but seemed surprised.

"Doesn't that mean Rika-senpai," Hikaru.

"Has known Honey-senpai all along?" Kaoru.

"Why are you guys getting so surprised?" Haruhi asked, glancing around at all the shocked faces (minus Kyoya and Mori as usual). "It has nothing to do with you."

Tamaki started crying, going into the corner to cultivate mushrooms again. "Haruhi is so cruel to daddy!"

"Well," Haninozuka said. "I'll leave you to your friends, Mitsukuni. Yasuchika, let's not bother them. Come on."

"Yes, Father." Chika said, following his dad as they left.

"Kyoya, did you already know this?" I asked him, as the twins went to tease Tamaki in his depressed corner.

"Of course." He replied calmly. What? My eye is twitching in annoyance. This dude probably knows more about me than I do myself!

Well, I guess it made sense. Because of business, my family had moved further south when I was younger. We'd stayed there until the scandal occurred. My parents and Kimiko moved back to the main estate, here, so that Kimiko could attend Ouran. And so that they could deal with all the trouble. Hm… But my parents never said anything about this before.

"Good job, Ri-chan!" Honey said, coming to my side.

"Thanks, Honey!" I replied with a grin.

"Want to go eat snacks now?"

"Sure!"

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><p><strong>So what did you guys think? Please tell me in the reviews! You can get bunny-shaped cake! More action coming up! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	6. Impromptu sleepover at Honey's house!

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**Some crazy things are going to happen~**

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**Enjoy!**

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><p>His meaning of snacks turned out to be sweets. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but most of the snacks ended up down Honey's throat. We were crowding around at the kitchen counter, sitting on the bar stools and having some cake and tea. I sat down next to the twins, while Kyoya began writing in his black notebook.<p>

"Rika-senpai," Hikaru said. "You know, when you were fighting Chika-chan..."

"You had a really scary face on." Kaoru said.

"Like what?" I asked. "Was I smiling?" The twins glanced at each other, communicating silently. They're good at it man.

"Yeah, sort of." Hikaru finally said with an unsure smile. "It looked like… you were ready to...um, Kaoru you say it!"

Kaoru frowned. "You look like you could murder someone."

Murder someone?

"Do you mean you saw bloodlust in my eyes?" I asked them calmly. I wasn't really surprised. My smiles had been a weapon during the gang years too. A smile while beating the crap out of someone could easily scare off the rest. Made it so we didn't have to fight so many people. And the look of bloodlust… well beating people up would obviously result in some blood. I guess… Wow. I'm really demented, huh?

The twins nodded. I sighed.

"Aren't you going to tell us?" They asked in unison.

"Tell you what?"

"Why you've been fighting dirty for two years." Kaoru said.

"And why you try to act all prim and proper." Hikaru added with a smirk. I had considered it since Kyoya already knew. And I figured they weren't the kinds of people who'd just go around blabbing. But I'd trusted Goofy, and this was where I was now…

"Nah. No thanks. Some other day," I replied.

"Kyoya knows, doesn't he?" Kaoru asked quietly. Why were they still bothering me? Why didn't they go back to their usual harassment of Haruhi? Oh wait. Maybe that wouldn't be so good. Poor Haruhi. I feel for you girl!

"Of course he does. What does he _not _know?"

Hikaru grinned and chuckled. "That's true."

"Talking about me?" Kyoya asked, suddenly looming over us.

"Eep!" We squeaked. "No! Not at all!"

He smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Good."

Scary demon. Even though I trust him, he's still so scary!

"Want to try some cake, Ri-chan?" Honey asked, offering a slice of dark chocolate cake. Yes. I love dark chocolate!

"Yes! Thank you, Honey!"

I took a bite of it. It was creamy and sweet and had just the right amount of dark chocolate's bitterness to it. "Mmm… Delicious!"

"Rika-senpai likes cake too huh?" Haruhi asked with a cute smile.

I nodded, bouncing in my seat. "Of course! It's the best thing!"

"Isn't it?" Honey said with a wide grin while demolishing another huge slice of cake. It's great to eat some cake. I don't get to eat that many sweets at home anymore. Even if I could, it'd probably be some super light, small slice of fruit cake.

"Another slice!" I shouted, once I'd finished.

"Do you want to try a different flavor?" Honey asked.

"Yeah!"

This time it was a fruit cake, with peaches, strawberries, and mango! "I love mango! It's my favorite fruit!"

"Really?" Honey said. "I like strawberry best."

We kept chatting about food, moving from cake to ice cream flavors. Then we talked about cookies, chocolate, and how cupcakes just could not compare with cakes. We even talked about ice cream cakes which are really good!

Later, I left the kitchen and sparred with a dummy, as the rest of the Host Club continued talking and exploring Honey's house. There was no way I was going to miss this sort of opportunity. It was so much fun! God, I haven't fought in so long! Beating up a dummy feels great!

But then I was too full from the cake to do much, so I ended up lying on the dojo floor. Maybe I could come here another time just to spar and not eat cake. Then I could seriously spar. Yes! I decided I'd ask Honey if I could come over another time.

I headed out the dojo in search for them.

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><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"Rika-senpai is impressive." Hikaru said.

"She ate a lot of cake too." Kaoru said.

Haruhi giggled in agreement. "Yeah. She could probably rival Honey-senpai." The twins blushed at seeing Haruhi's cute smiling face.

"Who knew Rika-san was so good at martial arts, huh?" Tamaki said, walking alongside the others. They were on their way out the door.

"Kyoya, of course." The twins said, pointing at said smiling Host.

"Haruhi," Tamaki said, approaching the girl. "Can we go visit your house next? Please? Pretty please?"

"No way, Senpai."

And Tamaki was back in his dejected corner.

"Come on, Tono. We're leaving." The twins grabbed Tamaki and dragged him out the door. They waved goodbye and hopped into the limo waiting for them.

"Bye Honey-senpai! Bye Mori-senpai!" Haruhi said.

"Bye bye!" Honey replied with a big wave. And Mori smiled and nodded.

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><p><strong>Rika's POV: <strong>

It took forever. Honey's house is so confusing! But I finally found the entrance, where Honey's dad was talking to-

Oh crap!

I darted into the closest room and peeked out of it carefully. Yup. That is most definitely a maid of the Hayashi family. I can tell by the uniform with all its absurd frills!

"Oh, what are you still doing here?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Luckily I managed not to scream. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw it was just Chika. "Oh my God, don't do that!"

He stared at me while I caught my breath. Then I smiled. "Hey, Chika-chan. Could you do me a favor? You're here already anyway."

He frowned. "Why should I help you?"

"All you have to do is go get Mori and Honey over there," I said, pointing as discreetly as possible at the two standing next to Chika's dad. "Please?" I gave him my puppy eyes. "Pretty please with cherries and strawberries and mango pudding on top?"

His eyes widened, and he blushed. Aw, he's cute! He's probably a tsundere! OMG tsunderes are so cute! Wait, got to get my head out of the Otaku World.

"F-Fine! Since it's not too much trouble anyway," Chika said, turning away.

"And try not to attract too much attention, Chika-chan." I added with a smile. "Thank you!" He nodded, huffing and walking straight to Honey and Mori. He grabbed the two by the shoulders and dragged them over. Yes, talk about not attracting too much attention...

I think I heard, vaguely, him saying, "Someone needs to see you two."

"Oh, Ri-chan!" Honey said, as the four of us huddled in the small room by the entrance way. "What is it?"

"Shh, be quiet." I replied, putting a finger to my lips. Honey nodded enthusiastically. "Okay. First, has your dad said anything about me sparring?"

Honey shook his head. "Nope! Don't worry. I told Father not to say a word!"

"Great! Thanks, Honey!" I grinned. "Okay, second: Where's everyone else?"

"They already left."

"What? Already? They didn't even say bye. Such meanies." I pouted. Oh well. I'd see them tomorrow anyway. "Oh and where's my uniform?"

"Oh, isn't it still in the dojo bathroom?" Honey said.

"Ohh. Yeah. Probably. I have to change back into my clothes before I leave. I can't let anyone from my house see me in this." I said, pointing at the white uniform I was wearing. "Can you please make sure your dad doesn't say anything that might risk… destroying my image?"

"You have an image?" Chika asked.

I frowned. "That's rude."

"Eh?" Chika said, looking flustered.

"Yeah, Chika-chan. You should apologize," Honey said, mirroring my pout. Chika glanced at the two of us, then at Mori, as if Mori could save him.

"Taka-nii," Chika said pleadingly.

Aw that's a cute nickname. I giggled. "Taka-nii. Chi-chan is cute like Honey after all." Chika stared at me with big wide eyes.

"What are you saying?" He finally yelled then ran out of the room. Uh-oh. That might have just attracted attention to this room.

"Don't worry, Ri-chan! I'll go and distract the adults! Takashi will take you back to the dojo room and then back here! So you won't get lost!" Honey said fiercely and in all seriousness.

I nodded. "Okay. I leave this to you, Honey." I placed my hand on his shoulder, and we both nodded very seriously. It was like we were on some super secret special mission.

"Takashi," Honey said, turning to his cousin. "Make sure you protect Ri-chan! With your life, if necessary!" Mori simply nodded. I grinned. He was going along with our little role playing game.

"Yosh! Good luck, Honey."

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"What was that about, Mitsukuni?" Honey's dad asked, when Honey returned to his side. "And what happened to Takashi-kun?"

"He's going to get me some cake. And I was just teasing Chika-chan," Honey replied easily. He didn't care if he was lying flat out to his father. He was going to protect Ri-chan's secret at all cost! Even if he didn't know what it was, he knew she would have a good reason for keeping it. Besides, he figured his dad would understand.

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

After changing, I followed Mori back through the halls to the front door. And they were still there! Well, I don't take that long to change, but they must have been talking for at least ten minutes!

"Ri-chan!" Honey said, when Mori and I arrived. He glomped me with a hug, startling me. I patted his head a bit, staring at the unfamiliar maid. Now that I thought about it, I didn't think I'd ever seen her before. Ah, well, I had just recently moved back to the main estate.

"Hello, Rika-sama," the maid said with a gentle smile. "Shall we go home then?"

I nodded. Honey let go of me. I bowed to him and his dad. "Thank you for your hospitality today, Haninozuka-san. And thanks, Honey." I said, grinning at the younger one.

"It's nothing, bye Ri-chan." He gave a big grin and a wave. Mori stood by his side, silently waving and nodding.

"Bye. See you soon," I stuck out my tongue. "Thanks again."

I followed the maid out the door. We walked down the driveway and to the limo… Wait, why do I need to ride the limo? Our house was like… just xxx feet away.

"Come on, Rika-sama," the maid said, gesturing at the now open limo door. Okay. _That _is just weird. I started backing away. One, there were no umbrellas (for some odd reason, my parents had been quite adamant about me walking around outside with umbrellas ever since the incident) and two, there was no Azumi. Sure I didn't like her much, but I knew that she would never dare… hurt me. Or anything of the sorts.

This was plain sketchy!

"Rika-sama?" the maid said, with a tilt of her head and a hesitant tone. "Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?"

"Um," I licked my lips nervously, taking another step back. Shouldn't I be good at lying? No. Not really. I suck at lying on the spot, impromptu. Being in a gang never really required the ability to lie well. "I think I just remembered that I left something back there. I-I'm going to go get it."

Then I turned and began running as fast as I could with those dumb brown school heels. Yes, they have heels but very small ones. They may make a fair dull weapon but are poor for running.

I heard footsteps behind me. Oh my God! What the hell is happening? I tore down the long driveway, hoping that whoever was chasing me would _not_ catch up.

"Honey!" I started yelling. Gosh. Should I save my breath or start screaming on the top of my lungs?

Arms latched around my waist. No!

I started screaming, thrashing in those arms as I was lifted off the ground. If I could just turn around… no. I slammed my head back, connecting with what I thought was someone's jaw. I heard a grunt. Ow. I think that hurt my head more than it hurt that person.

"Rika-sama! Please calm down."

Nope. I don't know this person's voice. I don't know-

A hand clamped onto my mouth, muffling my screams. Okay, this was definitely not cool. Now a handkerchief was heading my way, no doubt drugged, held by a white gloved hand. Another person? That maid? Oh my God!

"Ri-chan! Duck!"

Duck? How was I supposed to duck in this position? I ducked my head down, still wiggling around. And Honey's flying kick met with whoever was holding me. I was immediately released, dropping onto the black concrete.

I gasped, on my hands and knees. Then I felt another person scoop me up. No way in hell was I-

"It's okay."

Oh thank God it was just Mori. He put me on his shoulders and started calmly walking up the driveway, as if Honey was not behind beating the crap out of those…

I turned around. The maid was now on the ground, holding the handkerchief. She had her arms up in surrender. The other person was… holy moly! He was a buff and rather short dude with tan skin and black sunglasses on. And he was bald! He was dressed in a butler's uniform but no way would my parents ever hire someone like him! He had an odd scar on the top of his head too, shaped somewhat like a crescent moon. Who?

"Are you okay, Ri-chan?" Honey asked, running up behind Mori. I swallowed, wide-eyed, and nodded. The special Haninozuka security team or who knows what was now swarming the site and grabbing the two.

"Wh-Who are they?" I finally managed to say as we entered the home again.

"You don't know them?" Honey said. Mori set me down gently at the entrance. I took off my shoes and sat there, staring. Then I shook my head slowly.

"No. No, I've never seen them." I stared at my white-socked feet. I should call my parents and tell them about this. Or Kimiko. Or maybe even Azumi. But after seeing those people, I was scared of my own home. That lady had been dressed in the Hayashi maid uniform. How could she have gotten that? There were only two possibilities: she either _was_ a maid of our house or she had gotten it from someone that worked for our house. There was no other way.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Honey said, kneeling next to me. He placed his hand on my forehead. "Come on, Ri-chan. Maybe you should go see the doctor." He tugged on my arm. No. I don't need a doctor.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"Do you want to call your house?" Honey tried again.

I shook my head. "No. I… I don't want to go back now. That was really… scary." I stood up, grabbing onto Honey's hand.

"Doctor then?"

"Sure."

Honey guided me through his home to where their doctor was. I guess I wasn't surprised. There were probably frequent injuries from all the kendo, judo, martial arts, etc. practices.

"-probably going in shock."

I blinked. What?

"Some rest should do." The doctor was saying. When did we get here? Why was I sitting here? Maybe I should go home. What if Kimiko was in danger too?

I stood up. "Honey, I think I should go home."

"What, why? Didn't you say you didn't want to?" He stood up next to me. Had he grown? Maybe he was starting to catch up to my height.

I sighed. "What if Kimiko's in danger? What if something happened?"

"Get her some rest first," the doctor said.

"Want to take a nap, Ri-chan?" Honey asked cheerily. I shook my head. I was just staring at the floor, eyes unfocused. What was I doing here? Well, actually, I did feel a bit tired. Maybe I'll- no! Kimiko!

"Ri-chan." Honey's voice brought my gaze up to him. He smiled at me sweetly, extending an arm over, before all went black.

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><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Rika still hadn't woken up. Honey was getting worried. Maybe he'd pressed the pressure point too much. He'd only intended for her to get a few hours of rest. His dad had already called her parents, and both sides had agreed that it'd be safer, for the time being, that she stayed with them. Her parents had never seen either of the two (pictures had been sent) and were going to investigate this incident. They believed though that Kimiko would be fine. For reasons that Honey was not told, it seemed that if any of their children would be targeted, it was far more likely that Rika would be the one.

Honey now sat on his bed next to a dozing Rika. He played with her black hair. It was loose now, with her red bow lying near her head. He wondered what the bow was for. She seemed to wear it every single day.

"Ah."

"Rika!"

Rika's eyes opened slowly. They focused on the blond haired boy in front of her. She yawned and stretched. She liked where she was. It was warm, cozy, and comfortable. But no, she should get up.

She sat up, running her hand through her hair-

Her eyes widened. "My bow!"

"Here," Honey said, holding out the red cloth to her. She let out a sigh of relief, taking it back with a small smile.

"Thanks." She tied it around her wrist now. A safe place.

"Is it special?" Honey asked. She nodded. "Are you feeling better?"

"Huh? Oh." She looked at him and nodded. "Yeah." She smiled. But she was still tired. She wanted some more sleep. "Where am I?" She looked around the room. Some many stuffed animals!

"My room."

"Wow! You have a ton of stuffed animals!"

It was pink, not surprisingly, and the bed was filled with animals. Teddy bears, bunnies, dogs, cats, and every animal you could think of. Penguins, pandas, tigers, and even a raccoon.

"Here's Usa-chan!" Honey said, holding the pink bunny out to her. She smiled, taking it in her hands.

"Where did you get Usa-chan from?"

"My grandma made it for me."

"That's cool." She smiled softly, playing with Usa-chan's hands. "She's very cute." She glanced at the stuffed animals. Then she picked up a nearby teddy bear. "This one is cute too." Its light brown fur was super soft and almost curly.

"Do you want him?"

"What? No way."

"Y-You don't want Hiro-chan?" Honey said with a horrified look. "Hiro-chan is sad now." He pouted at Rika, knowing that would do the trick.

"Eh? No. I just mean, I can't take what's yours." Rika said, frantically denying.

"Says who?"

"Uh… well. More like, I don't need-"

"Hiro-chan," Honey said, leaning down to the bear. "Rika-chan just said she doesn't need you." He looked back up at Rika. "Hiro-chan is really sad now."

"Honey!" Rika said, giving up.

He grinned. "If you want to take Hiro-chan, go ahead!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay then." Rika smiled. Then her stomach growled. "Um… heh. Is there dinner?" Honey grinned, seeing her flushing face.

"Yeah! Come on! Let's go eat! You can leave Hiro-chan here for now. We'll come back up." He grabbed her hand and they ran to the dining room.

Wait. It finally processed in Rika's mind. She'd be staying over at Honey's?

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><p><strong>That's it! Thanks for reading!<strong>

**Should I try this?**

**Rika: Oi, review. Or else. Mwahahahaha!  
><strong>

**Review please! **


	7. To wake Honey up--And hosting?

**Hello all! Thanks again for all the follows and favorites! You guys are probably getting tired of reading this... if you are. Anyway, here's the next chapter! :) Sorry it's so short, but there's more HoneyXRika. Hope you like it!**

**Thanks to Anymousse Rox, DreamTrance14, LadyDream3512, and icegoddez333 for reviewing! :D You guys have such sweet and awesome reviews! Yeah! Here's some roses and dark chocolate bunny candy. **

**Happy Valentine's Day everyone! **

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><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

"Um, I don't have any of my clothes with me…" I blushed, turning away from Honey. What was I doing here? With a boy too. Gahh!

"That's okay! Want some of my pajamas?"

What? "N-No, that's fine." But Honey had already left the room. Wearing Honey's clothes? Oh my God, that's like something from a manga! It's totally something from-

"Here," he handed me a set of pink pajamas. He smiled. "We do have extra clothes you know." So they weren't Honey's… Was I disappointed? No! What was I thinking?

"Thanks."

Later, I found that I could just sleep with Honey. What? I stared at him, jaw dropped. "Uh… the two of us?"

He nodded, already tucked under the bed. "Come on! There's school tomorrow you know." He yawned. "Aren't you tired?"

I nodded and slipped under the warm covers. Usa-chan and Hiro-chan were lying next to us. Honey turned the nearby light off, snuggling over to me. I sighed, closing my eyes. It was really comfortable here. And I felt safe. Safe and calm, at peace and happy. I drifted off to sleep.

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><p>Um… My eyes fluttered opened. I was still half asleep, but I was vaguely aware of something wrapped around me. I turned to my left and saw Honey sleeping quietly next to me. He was really close, like maybe a few inches away.<p>

OMG, he's hugging me?

Well that woke me up quickly...

He had his skinny arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to him. I could feel him against me. His head was lying on top of mine and one of his legs were tangled with mine. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but my cheeks were burning at the realization.

I have never slept this close next to a guy. Heck, I've never been hugged by a guy like this! Sure the twins, Tamaki too, knew nothing about personal space, but… uh…

I wiggled around for a while, trying to escape. But his arms had an iron grip. Even though he's sleeping? I'm not surprised he's strong but this strong? I sighed. Ah whatever. I was tired, and I still wanted to sleep. Plus Honey felt really warm. I curled myself into him. He was probably using me like a human Usa-chan but whatever. I closed my eyes, sighing, as my head rested against his neck.

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><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Mori sighed. One thing he hated doing every morning was wake Honey up. Alarm clocks had long been useless. Honey would either ignore the irritating ringing noise or destroy the alarm clock with a single fist.

Now he stood in front of Honey's door taking a deep breath. Luckily he'd been waking Honey up for years that it wasn't too terrible anymore. He opened the door, walking in quietly.

There was Honey. And Rika.

And they were snuggled together. There was barely any space between the two. Mori walked over to Honey's side of the bed with a small smile. He knew how fond Honey was of Rika. Maybe with Rika's presence, Honey could wake up faster and more easily.

Or… since Rika was in Honey's grip, he might accidentally hurt her.

Mori started shaking Honey gently. "Mitsukuni. Wake up." He said softly.

Honey groaned, annoyed. "Ugh." He turned away from Mori, burrowing his face into a nearby soft thing. It smelled nice.

And it was Rika's hair.

Rika stirred but didn't wake up. Mori watched, amused. He shook Honey again. "Wake up, Mitsukuni. School time."

Honey ignored his cousin's persistent actions. So Mori turned to the other still asleep person. "Rika, please wake up." He shook her. Her head rolled towards Honey's as she opened her eyes.

Wah! Rika thought, eyes widening. She was instantly awake. Honey's face was… like probably barely any centimeters away. She blushed and then noticed Mori towering over the pair with a warm smile.

"Ah!" she squeaked, slightly embarrassed. "G-Good morning, Mori-san!"

His smile widened just a bit. Honey stirred now. His eyes opened just a crack. Rika stared at his brown eyes opened. They were dark, like a terrible storm at sea. He wasn't exactly glaring at her, but she still felt frightened.

"Honey. Wake up," Rika said. This was not the Honey she knew.

His eyes widened just a bit and the darkness in those eyes receded. He stared at her through the foggy haze of sleepiness. It was nice to wake up and see her. If the first thing he saw every morning was her face, he would be very happy. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to have to let go of her yet and neither did he want to go to school. He snuggled into her once again.

"H-Honey, what are you doing?"

Mori had already left the two of them alone. He figured Rika would probably be able to wake Honey up without much difficulty. Now he was pulling out Honey's uniform and laying it on a nearby chair.

"Rika," he said. She glanced at him, still lying in bed because of Honey's tight grip around her. He pointed at Honey's uniform. "Breakfast is downstairs." Then he left.

"Mori-san! How can you just leave me here with him?" Her protest was cut short as Mori shut the door quietly behind him. He smiled and headed toward the staircase.

Rika sighed and frowned.

"Honey. Wake up. Now." She said, trying out a demanding and authoritative tone. Honey smiled, pulling her even closer to him. He decided that he would not listen until she called him by his first name. _Since she's already calling Chika-chan by his first name, she should call me by my first name too. _He thought, smiling.

"Honey, I know you're already awake. So get up and let go of me. Please."

Nope. Honey shook his head slightly.

"Honey, stop being difficult. And stubborn. And a little rich brat." Now she was trying insults. "You idiot."

Nope. Honey would not fall for that. Besides, he knew she didn't mean any of it. Rika sighed, crossing her arms while glaring at the ceiling.

"Honey, I will throw Usa-chan out the window." Nah, she would never do that. Besides, Usa-chan was on the other side of Honey, well out of Rika's reach. Honey tightened his arms around her though. He didn't really want to risk it.

"Honey!"

"You smell nice." He replied in turn.

She blushed. Fine. If he wanted to be like that, then she could join in. What might send him over the edge? Something so startling that he'd hop straight out of bed.

"You do too," she said, starting off easy. "You smell sweet. Like vanilla cake." Honey giggled. What was she trying to do?

"Your hair is soft," he said, eyes still shut. Seeing her this close to him would surely make him blush. "Rika."

Wow! Her face flamed up again. The way he said her name, he was obviously teasing her. Fine. Okay. Be that way. "Mit. Su. Ku. Ni." She carefully pronounced each syllable in a sweet voice. "_Get up!_" She screamed.

That scared Honey. He jolted up, pulling Rika along with him. He still hadn't let go. Rika watched his wide eyes turn to her. He grinned and she joined in. Both were blushing. They started laughing, sitting there on his bed, pointing at each other's startled and red faces.

Rika hadn't felt this happy in a while.

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

School was boring as usual. I spent class time taking short naps and doodling. Sometimes I'd read my current book about mammals found in the North checked out from the library. There was a range of reindeer to bears to penguins.

"What are you reading, Ri-chan?" Honey asked as we were making out way to the cafeteria. There were a lot of pictures and information about the animals and I showed him a picture of a bunny.

"It's a book about animals. I'm done though so I'm going to return it." I closed the book, veering off our path. "I'll see you guys later."

"Okay. Bye, bye!"

The library was, as usual, fairly empty. After returning the book, I went to the first aisle to pick up my next book. Yes, I was going through the entire school library. This would be much more difficult since Ouran's library was huge! It was probably ten times larger than the one at the boarding school. And I only had a year to get through all these books. It's a shame not a lot of people like the library. And it's a greater shame that they have zero manga books here.

I took off the next three books. Still about animals. Whatever, a lot of them are cute and fluffy looking. I checked them out and was on my way out when I spotted a familiar brown-haired person.

"Haruhi!" I said, walking over to where she sat bent over a textbook. She looked up and smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Studying," she replied, returning her attention to the book in front of her. She had notes laid out across the table. They were really neat too. "Since eating lunch with the Host Club makes this impossible."

I chuckled in agreement. That was true. "May I sit here then?"

She looked up again and nodded. "Of course."

"I'll just read here." I said, opening up the first book. She nodded with another smile. This book was about the mammals in the South. Oh my God. I hope I don't get too bored with it.

About twenty or so minutes into my reading, I heard some noisy students enter the library. So loud. Don't they know the library is a nice and quiet place?

"Ri-chan! Haru-chan!"

"So they were here!" mused two voices.

"My daughters!"

…

Frick.

The Host Club immediately swarmed Haruhi and I's table. Seriously, they can't leave us (more like Haruhi) alone for like twenty minutes? Maybe my disappearance also further alarmed them. I sighed, trying to keep my attention on the book in front of me.

"Hey, Rika-senpai." The twins said, sticking their heads on my shoulders. "Whatcha reading?"

"A book," I replied. My ability to state the obvious is probably the one and only thing I share with Kimiko.

"Guys, this is a library." Haruhi said angrily, glaring at the three troublemakers. "Keep it down!" The three guys blushed very faintly, probably thinking Haruhi's angry face was cute. I agree. It is.

"But Haruhi," Tamaki said, wiggling around as usual. "We just wanted to see you!"

"That is no excuse for disturbing the library and the other students here." Haruhi replied sharply. "Please leave before you start bothering others."

Tamaki seemed to brighten when Haruhi said this. He turned around to a nearby girl, who'd been watching. "Oh, I'm not bothering you," he said, cupping her chin in his hand gently. "Am I?"

The girl blushed madly. Oh my God. They fall for that charm? The girl shook her head furiously, probably far too nervous to say anything. Tamaki smiled, then noticed the group of girls starting to gather.

"If I had known such beauties were in the library," Tamaki said, still continuing with his princely charm. "I would have come here far more often."

Oh God that is so cheesy!

Kyoya was writing in his black notebook. The twins had somehow managed to start up a twincest act between them. Seriously? Honey was eating cake with Mori at the table next to ours. _Seriously?!_ This was _no_t Host Club hours, and yet, they were immediately turning into Hosts! And why were they eating in the library?

Even Haruhi was chatting amiably with the girls. Oh God. I buried my face into my arms. This is disastrous.

"Oh, you're Hayashi-san, right?" One girl asked, tapping my shoulder gently. I looked up, smiling automatically.

"Yes. And," I studied the girl in front of me. I think she was in one of my classes. Quickly I sought my brain. "With such a pretty face," I said, stalling for time, "You must be Ishii-san. Yes?" Her face brightened immediately. She had short, neat brown hair and bright hazel eyes.

She smiled. "Yes! And, thanks."

She sat down next to me. Wait, don't tell me I have to host too? Chat with her like Haruhi? We started talking. It was all small talk. I asked her about her hobbies. She liked playing soccer! Ooh, me too. She even told me, very quietly and while blushing, that she was an otaku. Me too! But she liked reading yaoi manga. Geez, can't agree with that, but I guess I understand.

Before I knew it, other girls had gathered around me and we were all talking about… girl stuff, I guess. Well not really. We talked about books, since most of them were bookworms like me. Genres we liked, authors we liked, things we didn't like. It was actually pretty fun. Plus, hanging out with some girls should be good for me since I've been with guys for the most part.

Then lunch came to an end and we had to disperse.

I followed after the Host Club as we made our way out. "Hey, Kyoya. Did you earn some money back there?"

He smirked at me. "Of course."

"How much?"

"6,300 yen."***** He said. "Although there weren't many girls and it was an informal Host Club session, we still earned quite a bit. You were a surprising part in this."

"I was, now wasn't I?" I smiled, scheming already. "Say, Kyoya. Do you still think I should join the Host Club?"

"Yes. You would do well as a female Host, especially after what I just saw." he replied calmly, pushing up his glasses. "The girls who were talking to you are not regulars at the Host Club. But if you were to join, I'm sure they would become regulars."

"But, Kyoya, I have a condition." He didn't seem surprised at all. "I'll host people, _however_, any profit the club gets in which I play a part of, I get 5% of it. And another 5% of the profit will go into paying off Haruhi's debt, to speed up the process."

"Hm…"

"And I'll be willing to do paperwork and calculations for you."

"But?"

Ah, Kyoya knew me well. I smiled. "Only five sheets of calculations per week, and they must be printed in 12 pt font. Basically you can't try to jam more than one sheet onto one sheet. Any more and you'll have to pay 2000 yen per sheet. What do you think?" I crossed my arms, studying Kyoya. Would he take the offer? Was I worth it?

"Let me think it through." He finally said. "I'll write a contract for it and give it to you tomorrow."

"Okay! See you then!" And I headed off to class where I'd probably just read my books. I did want to go through the entire library.

* * *

><p><strong>* It's about 63 USD. If you want to convert from Yen to USD, just like move the decimal two places to the left. Or should I just use American money? :) <strong>

**Review please! I would REALLY love to hear your opinion. Or anything for that matter. And thanks for reading!**


	8. What? Kimiko is evolving!

**Wow! Eighth chapter already! Woo! Thanks for all the follows and favorites!**

**Thanks MokonaBookworm, crazyman90, and DreamTrance14. Yen it shall stay! :D Any thoughts on the inches thing? **

**Luna Kiyomizu: Actually I totally didn't think about her having a type. Thanks for reminding me! :P **

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* * *

><p>"Rika," Kimiko was in front of me again, huffing angrily as usual. Seriously, what is with her? Maybe she should go and take some anger management classes.<p>

"Yes, onee-san?" I was lying on my bed, reading my books again.

"You still haven't told me what club you joined!" She said, pointing at me accusingly. This again? I was attacked yesterday by some weirdos, and this is all she cares about?

"Kimiko-nee," I said, rolling onto my side. "I already told you that I haven't joined a club."

"Well you have to join one," she said, crossing her arms. "Mom and Dad want you to. And they want you to tell me or tell them what club you joined. Besides, aren't you staying after school a lot?"

"Yeah. I just go to the library and do my homework. That's all." I stared at her upside down. She was still standing in the doorway. Kimiko was like this. For some reason, she didn't really like coming into my room.

"You can take all the time you have and put it into a club, you know." She stepped a bit into the room, closing the door behind her. Woah. What is she doing? I flipped back onto my stomach and sat up. I had to be on my guard now that she had fully entered my room.

"What about friends?" She asked me, sitting down on the light pink, cushioned stool that was part of my stupid bright pink vanity. I had it covered by a yellow sheet because its pink color was just too glaringly ugly. Plus I don't use it.

"I have friends," I said.

"Give me their names." She demanded, leaning forward. Why does she want to know? Why does she even care?

I sighed and listed off the Host Club members' names. "And there's Tsukino Shuji."

"Another _guy_?" Kimiko said, sounding appalled and shocked at the same time. Oh she must be jealous. I smiled, trying to not become smug. She always had trouble with guys, probably because she's so girly and self-conscious of them.

"Well, no. There's also Yukimura Naoko, a girl, and Ishii Hanako. And why do you even want to know, nee-san?"

She crossed her legs. "Obviously because I care about you, Rika. What if you became friends with the wrong sort of people?"

"Who exactly are the wrong sort of people?" She should stop lying, I thought, because it was obvious she didn't care. When had she ever cared about me anyway?

"Hmm, like," She stared at my white ceiling, trying to find the right words. "People who cause trouble. You don't want to get in trouble, do you?" She eyed me carefully. I shook my head. "People who skip class, who have ulterior motives, who would befriend you just because of who our parents are."

Oh. The last one actually made sense. Well, a lot of people have ulterior motives, so it'd be hard not to befriend some of them. Besides, some people's motives aren't bad. And what rich kid would skip class? Okay, it's possible. But their parents would most likely not let them.

"You know, that does make sense." I told her, musing over it. "But… Ah, whatever. Who cares? What are they going to get from me huh? I'm broke, for Pete's sake." I rolled back over, staring at my ceiling.

"They don't know that."

"No harm in them not knowing."

"I suppose."

"Don't you have better things to do, Kimiko?"

"Then talking to you? I probably do."

"Why don't you go and do whatever it is then?"

"I don't feel like it."

I felt her sit on my bed, just the edge of it. But it was starting to creep me out. Kimiko sitting on my bed? Only like XXX feet away from me? How is this happening?

"Kimiko, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you very much. Shouldn't you be the one resting?"

Okay. That's totally not sketchy at all? She wants me to sleep? While she's like _right_ there? I sat up, as my guard shot up again. Something was weird and something was wrong. Maybe I should have stayed another night with Honey!

"Why should I?"

"Because of what happened yesterday," she said, staring at me like I was the one suddenly acting wacko. I kept up with her chatter though. We talked about simple things, like what I was reading, school, the teachers and classmates. She shared with me some stories about when she was at Ouran and some tips for class. I didn't really need them since classes were a breeze right now, but I guess I appreciated her efforts. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. What was going on?

"Okay, what do you want?" I asked, sitting down next to her. She gave me that you-are-so-weird-and-I-have-no-idea-what-you-are-talking-about gaze. I stared back. "Come on. Tell me why you're acting this way." She sighed, staring at her red-socked feet.

"What do you mean?"

I bit my lip, trying to find the right words. "Like talking to me like this all the sudden. We're actually having a simple conversation without any yelling or anger. You know, we're like being… normal siblings. Sort of." Even though siblings wouldn't talk this stiffly. It'd more relaxed, simple, and easy flowing.

She frowned, pursing her lips. "Well, if you really want to know… I talked to Mom and Dad last night." Oh dear. Here we go again.

"And?"

"And they told me what happened to you yesterday, like how those people had been trying to kidnap you." Okay, I didn't know anything about kidnapping. But I guess it was reasonable. But why would they want to kidnap me? To ransom me? Then why would Kimiko not be much of a target?

"And?" I said.

"They said that you wouldn't be safe at home, at least, not as safe as before." She said slowly, still staring at her feet. "And, I figured that, if you were with me…"

"If I was with you…?"

"You'd be safer. Because then-then, if anyone did try to attack you, I'd be there, you know? I'd be there and maybe I could help. Maybe I could protect you." Kimiko was suddenly talking quickly, rambling almost. "Because they said that you probably wouldn't trust any of the servants in our house after that, and that we should, no, _would_ have to be careful after that. And-And, maybe you don't really trust me because I'm not a good sister. Because I've always been so, you know, not nice really to you. B-But I still don't want you to get hurt. Or kidnapped or anything like that. No matter what, you're still family. So I thought that maybe, if I was around you, th-then I could always at least get help." She took in a deep breath of air.

Wow. Kimiko really thought that?

"Thanks," I said, smiling at her genuinely. "You thought up of that all by yourself right? Mom and Dad didn't tell you that right?"

She shook her head, as a light pink color dusted her cheeks. Aw, Kimiko can be cute too. Sometimes.

"Thank you." I said. "Thank you, Kimiko-nee. And you are a good sister, for thinking of this."

She looked at me slowly, eyes wide. Then she nodded slowly. "I-It's nothing. I'm going to go to sleep now!" Then she darted out of my room quickly. Hm, how come I've never seen this side of my sister before?

Whatever, I stretched out on my bed. I'd just read a bit more then go to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"I'm sending you, my daughter, to become her friend. All you have to do is get information. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to hurt her or anything."

"Yes, Father. Is there anything else?"

"Here are her files. Read them through thoroughly, understand? Don't give anything away. If my plan does not work, then our company will go bankrupt. Do you understand what is at stake here?"

"Yes, Father."

"And do you understand _why_ we are doing this?"

"Yes, Father."

"Tell me why."

"Because Hayashi Sweets is too powerful and too wealthy. If we don't attack it, we'll just get crushed by its force."

"And how are we going to attack it?"

"We are going to attack it by cutting away its one and only successor."

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

Kyoya was impressive. He had a three page contract for me to sign. I sighed, reading through it thoroughly. It was basically what I had said yesterday: I'd participate in all club activities, like hosting, serving tea, et cetera and in return, I'd get 5% of the clubs profit, paid to me by either cash or check. Any profit that I didn't take part in, I won't get the 5%. Another 5% of the profit which Haruhi partakes in will go into paying off her debt, and this did not affect the way that Haruhi had been paying off her debt before. There is a max of 5 sheets of calculations per week, no morphing the papers to fit more than usual on one. Any over 5 sheets and I get paid… damn, only 1500 yen per sheet? Aw, that sucks. Whatever, works for me.

"Agree?" Kyoya asked. I nodded, scribbling my lame signature on the page before returning it to him.

"Agreed." I smiled. It was after school, and I was once again hanging out with the Host Club. Joy.

"You start tomorrow then," he replied with a smile as he tucked the contract away. I sat down next to him with my homework. Homework's a pain.

Then my cellphone started ringing.

"Kimiko-nee?"

"Rika, where are you right now?"

I was on guard immediately. Her voice might not have sounded scared or hasty, but the question she was asking was certainly odd.

"At school," I replied evenly.

"With who?"

I glanced around the room. There were a ton of girls and the Host Club. "A good amount of people. Classmates and some friends."

"Is that Haninozuka kid nearby?"

"Yeah," I said. "Why?"

She let out a sigh (of relief?) and said, "Can I talk to him?" Uh, that's not fishy at all? What was Kimiko doing?

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to him," she said. Oh, _really_ now. Like I didn't just figure that one out. Then she sighed. "Nevermind actually. Where are you? A classroom? Club room? The library?"

"Club room. Well, it's Music Room #3, bu-"

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute." And she hung up. What the eff? I shrugged, putting my phone away. Whatever. She'd be here, and she could explain. I turned back to my Calculus homework. Ugh, I hate math.

The club room doors opened a few moments later, quickly attracting the attention of the Hosts. There was only a few more minutes left before they officially closed, so everyone was curious as to who was coming.

The doors opened, revealing a girl wearing dark blue skinny jeans and a loose forest green sweater. Yeah, her taste in fashion wasn't the best. Her long black hair was in a French braid.

Kimiko.

She surveyed the room, taking in the girls sitting around the Hosts, drinking tea, blushing madly, and giggling. The Hosts had noticed her though.

Then she spotted me, sitting with Kyoya and homework at the table. I raised my eyebrows at her. She certainly knew how to make an entrance… not really.

She marched straight towards me.

"Hello, Princess, I've never seen your beautiful face around," Tamaki said, having elegantly glided over to my sister. He pulled a rose out of thin air and presented it to her with a flirtatious smile. Kimiko's eyes widened, but she took it anyway.

"Thank you," she said. "But, um, you're kind of in my way." She was staring at me, and I was staring right back. Tamaki turned and saw Kyoya and I sitting there.

"Oh, so you are here to designate the Cool Type." Tamaki said, looking amused. "But the Club will end soon, dear Princess."

"That's fine, and please don't call me princess." Kimiko said with a smile before walking over to me. Tamaki look shocked and I couldn't help but giggle when I saw his devastated expression.

"Which one is the Haninozuka boy?" That was the first thing Kimiko said to me. No hello? Wow and I'd thought we had bonded yesterday.

"Uh, care to tell me what you want with him first?" I said.

"Hayashi Kimiko. It's a pleasure to see you again." Kyoya said, standing to bow at my sis a bit before smiling at her.

Kimiko kept her level gaze. Wow! When was she able to be so cool? This is amazing and awesome! Maybe it's a natural phenomena? No wait, it's more likely to be an _un_natural phenomena. Like, maybe she got zapped with some special radioactivity! Or has she finally leveled up? Evolved?

"You're a friend of Rika's," she said. Ah, no, maybe she _hadn't_ changed that much. Still a master of stating the obvious. Kyoya nodded. Then she tilted her head. "And I know you?"

"You don't remember Kyoya?" I said, astonished.

"Kyoya?" She glanced at me.

I nodded. "Yeah. When we were kids, we used to hang out a lot…" I perused my old memories, trying to remember if that was true or not. "Wait, so maybe you weren't that close to Kyoya, but you've certainly met him before."

"I think I remember you," Kimiko said. Then she shrugged. "Oh whatever, just tell me which one of these boys here is Haninozuka."

"Tell me first," I stood up too, "why you want to see him."

"He's the small blond one over there eating cake," Kyoya said, pointing in Honey's direction.

"Oh my God, you traitor!" I shouted angrily. Kyoya smiled smugly as Kimiko left. I started to run over to where they were-

No. I was stopped by Kyoya's hand wrapped around my wrist. He didn't have a very strong grip but something about it told me it'd be better if I didn't resist. I turned around slowly. He smiled at me charmingly.

"Sit down please, Rika-san."

"You know, you don't have to keep calling me Rika-san." I said with a blank face. "You can just call me Rika-chan or Rika."

"What?" It'd dropped his guard but not his hand. Damn. Worth a shot though. He smiled again. "Please sit down then. Rika."

"Please let go of me then. Kyoya."

"After you sit."

"Why are you stopping me?"

"Because, I know why your sister is here."

"Want to tell me then?"

"No. Your sister should tell you."

"Why are you stopping me then? I want to know. I want to go and ask her. _Why _are you stopping me?"

"You can ask her after she's done talking with Honey-senpai." Kyoya said. I stared at his dark eyes, and he stared right on back. We were like this for a while, having a quiet staring contest.

We held it for a while before Kyoya said. "Sit down, Rika." He tugged on my arm. I swallowed. This was infuriating me. I had to contain my growing anger. Kyoya seemed to notice because he smiled faintly.

"I'm sure she'll tell you." He said, in a much more gentler tone.

"Does it have to do with me?" I asked in a thick voice, staring at the table and now avoiding Kyoya's gaze.

"Yes."

"Do you know what happened after you guys left at Honey's place?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"You were attacked, almost kidnapped."

Dang. He did know. I'd been hoping he didn't know. "How do you know?" There was no way something like that would pop up on my file. Stuff like that wasn't recorded, plus it had happened really recently.

He sighed quietly. I saw, from the corner of my eye, him turn away from me. "I was told what happened."

"By who?"

Silence. Who was it? Honey? My parents? Or maybe even Kimiko? No, she didn't even remember him.

"Who, Kyoya? Tell me that at least." I turned back to face him.

…

"Was it Honey? Or my parents?"  
>…<p>

…

…

"Damn it Kyoya, tell me!" I yelled, grabbing the collar of his uniform with my free hand and shoving my face close to his. I glared at him, feeling the rest of my anger fighting to burst out. I was so frustrated, I wanted to beat the crap out of something. Anything. What the hell was going on? Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Your parents," he finally said.

I sighed, relaxing my grip. He still had his hand wrapped around my wrist. "Care to let go now, Kyoya?"

"No, not until you sit down."

The Host Club was coming to an end and the guests were filtering out. I knew some of them were staring at me. I was still holding onto Kyoya's collar and bent down near him. Luckily, none of them could see my angry face.

"Rika-senpai," I heard Hikaru say.

"What's going on?" Kaoru asked. The club room door closed and a quiet settled into the room. The twins wrapped their arms around my shoulders and pulled me up. Finally, I let go of Kyoya's collar, and he let go of my wrist.

I wrenched away from the twins' grips and dashed towards my sister. She was sitting next to Honey and talking to him.

"What are you guys talking about?" I demanded, screeching to an abrupt stop in front of them.

Honey smiled playfully. "A secret."

My eyes narrowed. I was not going to deal with this stupid secret. If it had to do with me, then I had the right to hear what is was. Plus I figured it had something to do with what happened recently.

"Tell me what it is," I said.

Honey stopped smiling, but his eyes remained that light color. He could probably see that I was being serious. "Secrets aren't supposed to be told easily, you know, Rika."

"Kimiko," I said, turning to my sister. She just smiled at me. "Kyoya said you'd tell me."

She shook her head. "Sorry but I don't think I will."

Oh. She was enjoying it. She was enjoying having something to hold over me. And here I'd been thinking something had changed.

"Fine." I said. "See you guys then." I grabbed my school bag and left without another word. If they were going to be like this, then they could. Screw the stupid contract. I wasn't going to join the Host Club until Kyoya or Kimiko said something.

* * *

><p><strong>Ehh, everything just turned so dark and gloomy... <strong>

**That last part was kind of KyoyaXRika. I don't know why, it just sort of happened. Heh. Heh.**

**Has anybody been watching the Winter Olympics? And what do you guys think of Kimiko so far? Good? Bad?  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading! :D REVIEW! PLEASE! WITH CHERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES AND OREOS AND ANY FRUIT OR FOOD YOU CAN THINK OF ON TOP!**


	9. Resolution! I meet a new girl

**Chapter 9! Thanks for the follows and faves! **

**And thanks DreamTrance14 and Guest Aisha for the reviews :D Here's another chapter. Hope you guys like it! **

**T for language. Watch out this chapter! :P**

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"You start school on Monday, daughter. Make sure you get along with her."

"Yes Father."

"Go and check out the school. There probably aren't a lot of people there right now."

"Yes Father."

"Be careful. Use your brain."

"Yes Father."

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

After my last class, I packed up my books and left the room as quickly as possible. I was not going to stay after school today. But instead of calling Azumi to send the car, I walked out of the school gates and turned left.

I sighed, trekking quietly down the sidewalk. After a while, I found the small park. There was a wide open, grassy field dotted with wildflowers along with a play structure and swings on the dirt part of the park. It was a nice clear day, cool and just a bit windy. The sun was warm on my face. It was already late spring. I couldn't wait for summer break. I could probably ask Mom and Dad for a vacation, all by myself, somewhere far, far away from here. I sat down on the swing and started swinging. I was not going to go home for a while.

_Ring._

I stopped swinging and found my phone in my bag. Kimiko. I tossed the phone back into my backpack. Screw it all. Instead, I sat on the swing and read my books.

"Rika-senpai?"

Huh? Who? I looked up and found Haruhi standing in front of me, carrying a paper bag loaded with-

"Instant coffee?" I said, eyes widening. Akane had loved that stuff.

Haruhi nodded. "Yeah. Have you ever had some before?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded and smiled at the resurfacing memories. "It's pretty good. Can't beat hot chocolate though."

She grinned, sitting down at the swing next to me. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to officially join the Host Club today."

"I was supposed to, but forget it." I replied with a sigh.

"What happened?"

Aw, Haruhi's so innocent. I smiled. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Does it have something to do with that attack?"

I nearly fell out of the swing, and I stuttered in shock. "Wh-What? How do you know too?"

"Kyoya-senpai told us all. Honey-senpai did too."

"My God!" was all I could say.

"What's wrong with letting us know?" Haruhi asked, swinging her legs and kicking at the dirt. "You'll be safer this way too. We'll know to help watch out."

"Yeah but…" It was too much. Telling them all this crap even though I'd only known them for like two weeks, even less actually. Why should they have to watch out for me? We were barely even… friends!

Besides, how did anyone know that I might get kidnapped again? What if that had just been a one deal thing? They were being stupid.

"Never mind, it's fine." I said with a resigned sigh.

"Want to come with me?" Haruhi got up and scooped up the bag of instant coffee. "The club will miss you. Plus wouldn't you be going against the contract you signed?"

"It's fine."

"Okay then. Bye Rika-senpai." Haruhi waved with her sweet smile.

"Yeah. Thanks, Haruhi, bye." I waved back and watched as she walked away. Well, time to go! I had no doubt that Haruhi would tell the others where I was. She was very honest and blunt after all.

I grabbed my school bag and ran out of the park.

* * *

><p>Ouch.<p>

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't see you there!"

I looked up from my place on the ground to where a girl stood in front of me. And I thought running into people like this only existed in mangas.

"It's fine," I said, standing up and brushing at my dress. The girl picked up my school bag and handed it to me.

"You go to Ouran?" She asked. She had wavy blond hair, pale blue eyes, and was very… curvy. She was wearing a short mini skirt and a white button up, collared shirt, which was opened in a way that revealed her… huge chest.

I nodded, taking the school bag from her. "Thanks." I smiled.

The girl's eyes lit up, and she started grinning. "That's so cool! I'm starting at Ouran on Monday!"

"Oh, that's great. Ouran's a nice school."

"Yeah," she said, nodding in agreement. "That's what I've heard too. Oh, and I heard they have a club, like, something like Host Club or something?"

Gak! What?

I started coughing, choking on my spit. Geez, I'm an idiot. "Yeah, they do."

"Tell me about it!" She said, eyes widening in a pleading way.

"Well, it's just a couple of rich guys with too much time on their hands. And they flirt with girls and do stuff. It's nothing really."

She pouted. "Aw, and I was hoping it'd be more amazing. It'd be like a reverse harem!" Her eyes were shining. They were glittering and sparkling. How does she do that? "Can you imagine it? If you were one of their friends, you could get them all wrapped up around your finger!" Okay, I have no idea how her thought process works.

"They're not really special." I said. Yes, I was still pissed at them, well mainly, a certain few of them. "Just guys who want girls fawning over them."

The girl in front of me frowned. "You don't seem to like them."

"Well, I'm kind of upset at them recently. Only a few of them though."

"You know them personally?" She asked, eyes lighting up again. "OMG, will you introduce them to me tomorrow then?"

"No thanks," I said with a firm shake of my head. "Oh. I'm Hayashi Rika, by the way, third year."

Her eyes widened even more. She had huge eyes that seemed to always be shining. "Nice to meet you, Senpai! I'm Minami Chiyo, second year!" She saluted at me sort of and then bowed with that bright smile of hers.

She looked like a foreigner but I wasn't entirely sure. I smiled back. "Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow t-"

"Rika-senpai!" cried two very familiar voices.

Oh shit.

"Bye!" I shrieked, tearing past the girl. Damn those stupid shoes for slowing me down. I was tempted to kick them off when arms wrapped around me. Holy crap, this is like deja vu! No! I don't want to be kidnapped! I kicked and squirmed, elbowing whoever was behind me.

"Stop it you guys!" I heard Haruhi yell, then, probably her tear off the people that had grabbed me.

"You stupid twins!" I shouted, turning around and smacking them both on the head. Haruhi was indeed the one standing behind the two twins, hands on her hips looking annoyed. Ha ha.

"Ow." The twins said, pouting at me.

I glared at them mercilessly. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked, crossing my arms and keeping my guard up.

"To bring you back, of course," Hikaru said with a grin.

"Like hell you will," I started backing up, slowly and slowly. "I want to be left alone. Tell Kyoya that he's a jerk. I'll join the club, earliest, on Monday. No guarantees. Now please leave."

"Rika-senpai," Haruhi said, "please just come."

"Why should I?" Still backing up, slowly and slowly.

"Because if you don't," Kaoru grinned evilly.

Oh dear. Maybe I don't want to know. Considering the fact that they had been the ones to tie me to a chair before. I slowly bent down and took off my shoes. I knew I was being stubborn and maybe a bit stupid and immature, but there was no way I'd be going to the club without a fight.

"Bring it on boys, I've done this before." I said, returning the evil grin. If they wanted to fight, they could bring it on.

The twins exchanged glances. Haruhi looked a tad surprised and alarmed. "Maybe you could just come with us?" She said, sounding hopeful. "Because they'll drag you there, against your own will, if you don't."

Oh, she must have experienced that before.

I smiled, flexing my legs and stretching my arms as the twins continued to communicate. And… now! I whirled around and started sprinting down the sidewalk. My bare feet slapped against the concrete. Sure the ground was cold and maybe I stepped on something weird once, but it was all okay. I'd done this before.

"Come back here!" The twins yelled from behind me. Mwahaha, they could never catch up to me. Okay, I was at a slight disadvantage, wearing a dress and with shorter legs and all that. But whatever. I have done this before after all.

I rounded the corner and ran into something. Crap! I landed on the ground but quickly scrambled back up, moving to sidestep the thing- no, that's a person. Just a really tall and really familiar person.

"Mori, no! Don't you da-"

He grabbed me and now I was draped across one of his shoulders, like a sack of rice. Really?

"Let go of me you idiot!" I started kicking at him and smacking his back with my shoes. He grabbed my legs instead with a strong grip. Oh my God, do they just want me super pissed off? "Mori." I growled. "Release me at once. You douchebag!" Yes, American slang, learned from the one and only Akane.

If only Akane were here or Goofy. Akane would trip Mori, tie him up, and then we'd run away. If Goofy were here, he'd probably have some strange contraption, test it on Mori, and then we'd run away.

No, what am I saying. I don't want Mori to be hurt either.

I relaxed, letting myself dangle and watching as a black limo pulled up next to us. Right, like that's not creepy at all?

Wait. What if, all along, the Hosts were the culprit? What if they were working for or with whoever wanted to ransom me? What if they were actually kidnapping me?

My eyes widened. Holy shit, I have to get out of here!

The door opened and Mori placed me, in a surprisingly gentle way, on the seat. Kyoya was sitting across with his laptop.

"Hello, Rika."

"Shit, it's you guys!" I yelled, as Mori sat down next to me and the car started driving. "You want me kidnapped? What are you going to do with me, huh, Kyoya? Ransom me? Are you that money-hungry? Why are you doing this-"

"Calm down." Kyoya said, typing on his laptop. "I do not want to ransom you. You seem to be thinking that I may be the one behind the attack a few days back."

"It would make sense, seeing as you just kidnapped me." The car stopped. The twins and Haruhi piled in.

"No, we are merely going back to the school." Kyoya replied. Haruhi climbed over Mori and I, taking the seat next to me. The twins sat down next to Kyoya.

"Are you sure we aren't going to some abandoned warehouse so you can torture me and ask me questions?" I crossed my arms, scooting closer to Haruhi. "Just so you know, I know nothing. Didn't I tell you that Kimiko's going to be the one that takes over the family business?"

"Rika, please calm down." Kyoya said, finally looking up and pushing up his glasses. "You broke the contract in case you weren't aware of it, and we are just going to make sure you don't break it again."

I stared at him. We had another staring contest. I used to have staring contests with Akane. She was good at it. Goofy completely sucked at staring contests. Mickey was surprisingly good at it, but Minnie just started tearing up whenever she tried.

"Why would you haul everyone out just to get me? Except Tamaki and Honey of course." I said.

"Because you would obviously be difficult to bring back," Kyoya replied. We were still staring. The twins exchanged glances again. I didn't get it. What did they want? Why couldn't they just leave me alone?

"Oh, senpai, here's your school bag." Haruhi handed the brown bag to me. I took it and nodded back at her.

I pulled out my phone and called Kimiko. She'd called six times already.

"Rika, are you okay?"

"Of course not, I just got kidnapped and am being transported somewhere."

"_WHAT?_"

"Kidnapped by five-sevenths of the Host Club."

"Oh." She let out a sigh of relief. "Okay then."

"What do you mean, okay then?!"

"You'll be safe with them! Duh!"

"After the twins tried grabbing me and after Mori flipped me over his shoulder and carried me to the car? You call that okay?"

"I was worried about you, you idiot! I got a call from Kyoya telling me you didn't show up for club activities, so I called you. You didn't pick up!"

"Yeah, maybe cause I'm mad at you and Kyoya?"

"Well you could have told me that!"

Oh my God. She seriously just said that. I wanted to face palm, curl up in a hole, and take a nap. "Kimiko, I have to tell you that I'm mad at you? Are you stupid or what? You know what, never mind, I'm calling Mom."

"What? No, don't call Mom!"

"Then Dad?"

"He's probably in a meetin-"

"I don't care. Bye." I hung up then speed dialed my mom. She had to be the source of all this stupid trouble. "Mom. Tell me what's going on."

"Rika!" She said loudly, sounding happy. "You finally called mama! Aw, how have you been doing? How's school? Do you like it there? Are you fitting in? How are your classmates? Any meanies there? How are your teachers? Are they good? Any boring ones?"

Lord. "Mom, tell me what's going on."

"What's going on?" She asked innocently. A very fake, innocent tone of course. The car was now pulling into Ouran. Damn, I knew I should haven't stopped for so long to talk to that girl.

"Uh, sending Kimiko to talk to Honey?"

"Hm? No, I don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you ask Kimiko instead? Oh but do tell me how you're doing with Honey. Are you guys good friends?"

Crap. I forgot that my mom is extremely talented at avoiding a particular topic and pretending she didn't know a thing. I sighed. Maybe my dad would have better results? Or should I just brush everything off and go back to acting stupid and oblivious? I wish Kimiko had been more discreet in talking to Honey.

I hung up and put the phone away as the doors opened and Mori pulled me out. "I can walk on my own. No point in running away now." I said crossly, folding my arms.

"Thanks to you, Rika," Kyoya said, coming to walk next to me. "We probably just lost about 35% of the usual profit."

"You didn't have to chase after me."

Kimiko was at the doors of the club room. "Are you okay, Rika?" She asked. I shook my head.

"You know, Kyoya, it was really pointless to drag me back. Because now I'm not in any mood to talk to people, so you still won't get any more profit."

The club doors opened. The Hosts quickly filtered in, returning to their customers with big grins and apologies. I wonder how long they had left.

"That's fine," Kyoya said. "You can just go through these." He handed me some paper. I sighed.

"I'll be in the back." I didn't want to see any of their faces right now. I sat at the kitchen area, going through the calculations. It was much more complicated. Was Kyoya just asking for a fight or something? Right now, I really wouldn't have minded punching him.

I listened to my music while going through the papers. Boooring! Tedious! Why did I ever sign that contract? I should have known not to sign any papers involving Kyoya.

"Oi, Rika."

I tugged out my earbuds and paused my music. "Is there something I can help you with, Kimiko-nee?"

"Why are you so mad?" Kimiko asked, one hand on the table I was at.

"Figure that one out yourself," I said, continuing my work. Three sheets down, two more to go. She sighed, grabbing a nearby chair and sitting down across from me.

"Well, fine. I'll tell you what I told Honey, seeing as you even went to calling Mom. But Mom didn't ask me to do this, you know."  
>"Uh-huh. Sure. Okay." I said, humming very quietly while maintaining a neutral tone.<p>

"I told Honey what Mom told me," Kimiko said, an elbow on the table cupping her chin. "I told him that there may be future attacks on you."

"Okay."

"And I asked him to help… protect you."

I nodded. "Sure because I totally need to be protected."

"Wasn't it because of Honey that you got out of that one safe?" Kimiko asked, leaning towards me. I still wasn't looking at her, but it was getting harder and harder to keep doing these calculations.

"If I had been any stupider, Honey wouldn't have had to help at all. I would have just been whisked away by those creepers. What else did Mom say?"

"She said that you should be careful and that it's likely only you will be targeted."

"Why wouldn't you be targeted?"

"I don't know." Kimiko shrugged. "Maybe because you're younger and so they think you'd be a better target. Plus you're new to the area."

Wow. My sister just brought up a seriously good point. "Okay. That first one is stupid because they should have known that I knew martial arts. Even if I am younger, I'm still better at defending myself than you are. I mean, if they want to be good bad guys, they should at least do their research on their target, you know. Seriously, Kyoya would be ten times better at kidnapping- scratch that, he is ten times better than them at kidnapping."

Kimiko sighed. "Whatever. That's what I told Honey."

"Then why did you feel that you should keep it a secret?"

"I just really needed to ask him that he'd look out for you, and I figured you wouldn't like that idea."

"I don't. You could have at least tried to do it quietly so that I wouldn't find out." Fourth one done, one more to go.

"Ugh. Whatev, see ya. Call Azumi. Don't wait outside by yourself too long-" And blah blah blah. After like a few more minutes, Kimiko finally left. And in that time, I finished the fifth sheet. Geez, she's really talented at talking a lot.

"Here, Kyoya the Demon Spawn," I said, tossing the papers in front of him.

"Your sister told you, yes?" He asked, as he picked up the papers and began looking through them.

"Yes. And if you're going to mentally check every single calculation I did, then there's no point in having me do it." I replied, standing next to him.

"I'm not checking it. I'm just making sure your calculations make sense. You were being very childish back there, throwing a tantrum just because someone was keeping a secret from you." He flipped through the sheets.

"Oh ho. Was I really? Consider this, Kyoya. You're checking through a particular person's file when you notice that something seems to be missing. You know a piece of information is missing, and it has something to do with you. Then you find out someone close to you knows that information, your onee-san, Tamaki, or anyone you can imagine. So you go and ask that person for that information but they refuse to tell you. Now how would you feel?"

"I would use my resources to extract that information from that person."

"What if you couldn't? Oh, come on, Kyoya! Just admit you'd be frustrated too! Geez. I'm going home now. Bye."

I grabbed my school bag and left the room. Club activities would be ending soon anyway. I called Azumi on my way down the staircase. What a pain. I could have walked home peacefully if I hadn't been interrupted by those dum-dums. Ah.

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Kyoya watched as the big doors closed behind the small girl. She was short tempered, sure, but he had to admit that she was also independent and cunning. Plus he knew she was talented at fighting as well. She could become either a powerful friend or a deadly foe in the future. Or maybe something much, much more.

He sighed as the guests began filtering out. He stuffed the papers into his school bag and packed up his laptop and black notebook.

"What happened to Rika-senpai?" Kaoru asked, as the other Hosts gathered around Kyoya's table.

"She'll be fine by next week." Kyoya replied calmly, picking up his school bag. The Hosts exchanged glances, unsure of the entire situation. "Are we all done here?"

They nodded, and Kyoya left for the waiting limo. Ever since Rika had reappeared in his life, he was even busier. He sighed. But he had to admit that he liked having her back again.

* * *

><p><strong>Ta-dah! And finally the nasty part is over! Next chapter, the Host Club goes on a small field trip! :D <strong>

**Oh and I'll be updating, at least, once a week. I might update twice a week, kind of depends on how things go. **

**Review please! I'd love to hear your opinion. All suggestions and questions welcomed! :D And now, t****hanks for reading!**


	10. Field trip to the commoners' mall!

**10th chapter! WOO HOO~! Hey everyone! I found out about Mary-Sue characters yesterday. Rika isn't one right? I hope not... **

**Thanks MokonaBookworm! Here's an extra long chapter that I hope you enjoy! **

**And thank you TrickyTheTricksterMew, lol nice name. :D Thanks for reviewing you wonderful people!**

**Hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

><p>Saturday morning, the doorbell rang. Great. Why couldn't my parents have wired it so that I wouldn't hear it? I rolled over in bed to check my clock. It wasn't even 9:30 yet. I rolled back, burying my face into Hiro's soft fur.<p>

"Rika-sama," It was Azumi, knocking softly on my door. "You have some friends over to see you."

"Rika-chan!"

"Rika-senpai!"

"Sorry for intruding."

I sat up slowly. Why was there so much effing noise? It wasn't even 9:30 yet! "Shut. Up." I muttered, using a high-powered dark glare.

Silence returned, albeit a tense one.

I flopped back down, rolled over, and curled up under the blankets.

"I didn't know Rika-senpai would be as scary as Honey-senpai."

"Yeah, they both kind of act the same way."

"Who wouldn't? We're barging in early in the morning."

Ugh, the noise… It's excruciating to my ears that have not woken up yet.

"Get out of my room!" I yelled, smacking my blankets. "And come back in three hours, you idiots!"

They stared at me. I realized then that everyone except Honey and Mori were here. Kyoya looked as annoyed as I felt, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and a dark aura surrounding him.

"Azumi! Kick these pests out this instant!"

Azumi came in with a blank look. "Rika-sama, that would be really rude."

"I just want to sleep!" I whined, rolling around in my blankets. "It's Saturday, man. It's Saturday! You sleep and sleep on Saturdays! Whyyyyyy?"

"Rika-sama, please get up."

I sighed. Now there was no choice. The only few times I could get away with a short temper, yelling, and whining was early in the morning on weekends. Other times, I had to be sweet and gentle. Ugh, who wants to wake up so early on the weekends? It's the weekend for a reason!

"Screw you!" I shouted, kicking them out of the room to change clothes.

* * *

><p>"So why did you guys come here?" I asked, as we all congregated in the kitchen. "Coffee please." The maid nodded and began to make my coffee. I wasn't very fond of coffee, but during dire times like these, I'd need it.<p>

I was wearing a light pink blouse, with zero frills (because I'd pulled them off myself) and a dark pink skirt to match. A third of my closet is stuffed full of pink clothes. It was really annoying.

The kitchen was a nice, wide room, connected to the fancy dining room and to a hallway which led straight to the door. And it was one of my more favorite places, mainly because it was where food is and because Kimiko doesn't come here often. There were white tiled floors and pale, blue paint. The marble kitchen counters, the silver stove, oven, and refrigerator - which was huge, by the way - always shined. There was also an island surrounded by bar stools.

"We're going to a commoner's mall!" Tamaki shouted excitedly.

"Great," I replied in as sarcastic of a tone as possible. "Can't you see that not everyone is as excited as you are?" I gestured at Kyoya, who was now leaning on the kitchen wall, emanating the same deadly aura.

"B-But it'll be more fun with all of us!" Tamaki cried out.

I sighed. "Do you guys want to eat anything? Coffee?"

"Do you have instant coffee?" The twins asked. I shook my head. I kind of wished I did though. Then I could just make it myself.

"Here you go, Rika-sama. If you would like anything, just tell me." The maid said, smiling sweetly at the boys.

"Thank you," The twins and Tamaki replied, making her blush under their big smiles. Wow. Haruhi was busy checking out the kitchen.

"Kyoya, you want anything?" I sipped my coffee. It was sweet, creamy, and mixed with some cocoa. Just the way I liked it.

He looked up slowly.

"Would you like coffee, Kyoya you jerk dear?" Haha, nobody heard that right? Right? I was kinda worried though. He looked terrible, as if he'd only gotten an hour of sleep… Or he was a vampire and hadn't gotten enough blood… Ok! Let's stop imagining weird things now, Rika!

"Sure." He said, finally slumping into a nearby bar stool.

"Izanami-san, if you could," I called to the previous maid, who was chatting with another one by the fridge.

"Yes, Rika-sama." She reacted quickly.

"Rika-sama," Azumi said, as she came into the now rather full kitchen. "What are you going to eat for breakfast?"

"I'll go out and buy something. We're leaving soon, right?" I asked.

"Yes!" Tamaki shouted. "Next we go to Honey-senpai's house! Mori-senpai should be there already!"

"I'll be fine, Azumi." I turned my attention to the maid still waiting for something. I smiled brightly. "I'm sure you have many other things to attend to."

"Yes, Rika-sama." She gave a short bow then left, nabbing the other two maids while she was at it. Dang! I'm getting better and better at this smile thing.

"Rika-chan, are we going to go now?" Tamaki asked.

I smiled at him, setting down my now finished coffee. "Tama-chan."

A look of horror spread across his face. "Y-Yes?"

"How come you don't call me senpai?" I leaned closer and closer to him, maintaining that menacing smile.

"Ahhh!" Was the best Tamaki could say.

"Let's go." I said, grabbing my nearby messenger's bag. It had everything I needed. I grabbed Tamaki's hand, and we walked over to Honey's house.

* * *

><p>"Senpai, calm down." Haruhi said to Tamaki, as we waited at the doorway for Honey and Mori to come join us.<p>

I snorted and turned around. I had had to drag Tamaki over here. He was staring at my hand, which still held his wrist tightly. "Haruhi dear, would you like to watch him?"

"No thanks." Haruhi replied with that calm look of hers.

"Did you hear that, Tamaki?" I asked, patting his shoulder sympathetically. "I'm afraid you have no chance with her."

"What?" Tamaki shrieked.

"Please stop aggravating Tamaki," Kyoya said irritably.

"Geez, you're not the only one who got dragged out of bed." I replied, sticking out my tongue childishly.

"Yes that may be true, but I'm the only one who went to bed at five." He said, pushing up his glasses in an arrogant manner, at least to me.

"Maybe you should take better care of yourself then and go to sleep earlier. Are you stupid or what?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

"I am not. I had business to attend to."

"At five in the morning?"

"It means I had papers and other things to deal with."

"Yeah, there's something called putting it aside and going to sleep. Have you ever heard of procrastination, Kyoya? Maybe you should do some of that."

"W-"

"Ri-chan!"

Honey launched himself at me, which really wasn't a good idea, since we were about the same height after all.

"Ah!"

I was falling backwards. Seriously, it was way too unexpected. Honey's eyes widened. His arms around me tightened, and he flipped us over. So I landed on top of him.

"Ow." I said. My knees were smarting now.

Honey looked at me with a bright smile and stuck his tongue out… in a really mischievous way. And it was cute. I blushed.

"You know, Honey, you could have been more sensible and not ran at me full speed." I said, pulling him up to his feet.

"I wanted to though," he replied, giving me an innocent look. "Hi everyone! Let's go!"

"This is so weird," I heard a twin say.

"Yeah, usually Honey-senpai is really grumpy in the morning."

"But not this time…"

Hm? Is that that unusual? Whatever. Now I have to deal with these lovable idiots' antics for a couple of hours. Geez, so much for just reading all weekend.

And the first thing they do… is try to cram eight people into one fricking limo. Are these guys stupid? Good thing the limo is the the kind with two sides facing each other. I slid in with Honey, Mori, and-

"I want to sit next to Haruhi!" Tamaki cried.

"No! We do!"

So Haruhi ended up sitting next to me. Boy was this new.

"I wanted to study this weekend," Haruhi said darkly, glaring at the trio sitting with an irritated Kyoya. "Without any distractions."

"And I wanted to read." I added.

"And I wanted to sleep." Kyoya pushed up his glasses. "And finish my work, of course." Wow, Kyoya just landed the last blow. The twins and Tamaki froze in their seats. After a while, the twins began messing around with a heartbroken and depressed Tamaki.

Honey laughed. "But it'll be fun with all of us, Ri-chan! Isn't it boring just to stay at home, Haru-chan, Kyo-chan?"

No response. Honey's cuteness was too difficult to combat. Kyoya just sighed and rested his head against the door. I'd never seen him like this before. It was quite interesting. This sleep deprivation must have started in middle school or high school.

We arrived at the "commoner's mall" with a renewed Tamaki.

"Yay!" cried the trio, who then dashed into the mall, followed by an equally eager Honey.

"Come on, Ri-chan!" And he dragged me along, with, of course, Mori following diligently. I had to run to keep up with Honey. We entered and were met by a cool blast of air conditioning. It wasn't even that warm outside.

"Ooooh! Ahhh!"

We were standing at a large clearing with a fountain in the center. There weren't that many people right now, since the mall probably opened at eight. There were stores surrounding the round plaza-like place and wide halls branching off to even more stores.

"Let's go!"

"Do you guys even know where you're going?" Haruhi butted in.

"Nope!" They shouted just as happily. Haruhi sighed and then facepalmed.

"Have you been here before Haruhi?" I asked her.

"Yeah, but not much. Well where do you guys want to go then?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"Yay, Haruhi's going to be our guide!" The twins yelled.

"Anywhere!" Tamaki shouted.

Haruhi turned very slowly to me. "Where do you want to go?"

"How about we just walk around then?" I asked with an unsure smile. I really didn't know where to go. I never had been into shopping.

"We should check out the commoner's clothes stores," Hikaru said to Kaoru as we walked down one hall, checking out the brightly lit stores.

"Look, Tono! A commoner's toy store!" Kaoru pointed at a large store to our right.

"I wonder what their toys are like," Hikaru said. He was obviously trying to goad Tamaki's curiosity.

"Oh? Let's go in and see!" Tamaki shouted, charging in loudly.

"Rich bastards. They don't have to stick 'commoner' in front of everything." Haruhi muttered. I laughed in agreement.

"Let's go too, Ri-chan!" Honey was still holding my hand and so dragged me into the store.

"Eh, wait. There's nothing to see in here. It's just toys." I said, stumbling in behind him. Tall shelves loomed over us, filled with boxes of toys. Legos, dolls, transformers, and kitchen sets. Children's toys are so sexist.

"Hm…"

I turned to see Honey frowning ever so slightly. I tilted my head, mildly confused and worried. "What is it Honey?"

"It's boring." He replied simply.

"Let's l-" I glanced around. Wait, where did everyone else go? "Where are they?"

"They probably went ahead."

"Even Mori? And Kyoya?"

Honey grinned. I stared at him suspiciously. "Ah, whatever. Let's go see if they have video games here. Do you like video games, Honey?"

"Not really. I don't play them."

We wandered to the video game section. Ah! Sweet games! How I've missed you so! I stared at row after row of video games all behind the glass case.

"Do you want some, Rika?"

"H-Huh? No! It's fine." I said, shaking my head while I continued to feast my eyes on the games. Argh! The new Assassin's Creed is out and I can't play it! This pisses me off so much!

"Hey, look Rika! You can play something here!"

"What is it?" I ventured over to where he stood in front of the new Wii U. "Oh! It's Legend of Zelda! Cool! And it's Ocarina of Time! Double cool!" I grabbed the little tablet/remote thing and started playing.

"Oi, Rika-senpai, we're leaving!" I heard the twins say a while later.

"That's fine. See ya!" I replied calmly. I wasn't even that far into the demo yet! I wasn't going to leave so soon.

"Rika."

"Rika-chan!"

"Ri-chan!"

"Go ahead. I'll catch up later."

I heard an almost collective sigh behind me. Then arms wrapped around my arms and I was jerked quickly away from the game.

"No! What are you doing, you devil twins? Look, I was just talking to that old man! I'm not even done with the demo yet! Stopppppp!" Even with all my flailing and kicking, they still successfully dragged me out of the toy store.

"Hmph. Not fun at all. Can't even play some video games with you guys. What happened to the stereotype about all boys playing videogames? It's obviously not true to you guys." I said, with a dramatic sigh and crossed arms.

"Let's go clothes shopping next, Rika-senpai!" The twins yelled, their arms now wrapped around my shoulders.

"But clothes are boring." I whined.

"Rika-senpai," Haruhi said, sticking her head into view. "Want some ice cream instead?"

"Ice cream? Ice cream? Yes!" I shouted, jumping straight away from the twins. Haruhi smiled and turned to the right, leading us down a different hallway.

"Here, let's have some ice cream." She said, stopping in front of a small store.

"Yay! Ice cream!" Honey started jumping up and down, hugging Usa-chan. Wait, when did he have Usa-chan?

"Boooring," The twins said.

"Haruhi, what flavor do you want?" Tamaki asked, as we walked to the register.

"Hm… Strawberry."

"Ok! Two strawberries then!" He declared loudly the register. He then turned to Kyoya. "What do you want, Kyoya?"

"I don't want ice cream." Kyoya said, busy with his black notebook. What a busy body.

"I'll take vanilla and strawberry." Honey said cutely. "What do you want Ri-chan?"

"Cookies and cream." I smiled. Ice cream is the best.

"I'll take chocolate," Hikaru said.

"Same then," Kaoru said with a shrug. The register lady looked really bewildered as she tried to get all the flavors down. She nodded and calculated up the money.

"I'll pay!" Tamaki said immediately. I sighed. Whatever, not like I wanted to pay or anything.

We got our ice cream and went back to walking. Tamaki wanted to check out a pet store. Haruhi wanted to go the the book store (I do too!) and the twins still wanted to go buy clothes.

We went to the pet store and played with some of the pets. They were really cute. I love dogs and cats! Too bad I can't have any pets… Then the clothes store. Well, not surprisingly, the mall had a ton of stores selling clothes.

"Why don't we split up then?" Kyoya asked in the current debate of which store to go to.

"Why? Only the twins want to buy clothes." I said.

"Not really buy clothes," The twins replied. "We just want to see what the commoners sell."

Haruhi sighed. "Well there's a big sale going on at Z store."

"Big sale?" I said, eyes widening. Haruhi nodded. "What does Z store sell?"

She shrugged. "The usual clothes."

"Let's go then!" I shouted, throwing a fist in the air. Yes! Time to regain my hoodies and jeans back!

"Eh, why is Rika-senpai so excited about this now?" The twins asked. "But let's go anyway!"

"Yeah!"

"I'll go and deal with some business then." Kyoya replied.

"Takashi wants to check out this store though." Honey said, pointing to one that was selling sports equipment. He frowned as if in deep thought. He closed his eyes, spun around, and then opened them. "Ah!" Honey shouted, looking shocked that he was facing Mori. Then he sighed. "Fine. I'll go with Takashi."

Mori chuckled very quietly. "It's fine, Mitsukuni, go with them."

Wow! Mori said some more words!

Honey shook his head. "Nah. I'll go with you. We can meet up later anyway. Bye you guys!" He waved and then dashed into the store with Mori.

"I'll take my leave too then. Tamaki, call me when you want to meet up again." Kyoya said, tucking his black book away and walking down one hall. "Which will hopefully be a long time from now." He added, very quietly and with a very dark undertone.

"Well let's go then!" Tamaki shouted, leaving me with the trio and Haruhi. Great.

Then something ran into my back. I spun around, immediately pushing my left foot back and taking on a loose, defensive position.

But it was just Usa-chan.

Well, Honey was holding Usa-chan up to my face. "Keep her for a while, will you, Rika?" He said sweetly. "I think things might get busy in the shop and I don't want her to get lost or anything. Take good care of her! Bye!"

Then he was gone.

What?

Oh well. Usa-chan is so soft and cuddly. I hugged the bunny to my chest with a smile and closed eyes. When I opened my eyes again, I saw the twins staring at me very suspiciously.

"What?" I asked, trying not to snap at them.

They grinned mischievously. "Nuh-thing." They started humming and walking in the direction Haruhi had pointed. "Let's go shopping then!"

I sighed. Oh dear.

When we arrived at the store, I naturally headed to the girls' section. Like little girls' section. Ugh. I frowned at the sight of bright pink skirts and dresses, covered in glittery things and cute animals and princesses. Seriously those Disney princesses, as much as they were a part of my childhood, they really aren't the best role models for little children. The only thing those princesses are capable of doing is being super and inhumanly nice and damselling. Like you know, being the damsel in distress and ah can't do squat but wait here for the handsome, usually no name prince to appear and kiss me randomly!

Plus those fairytale stuff kind of promote love at first sight which basically equals Oh-I-love-you-so-much-but-only-because-you're-so-beautiful. How shallow and egotistical. That's why Beauty and the Beast, along with Mulan, are my favorites. Mulan's awesome! She's so badass and it's actually based off a real story!

Anyway… backing away from my fairytale rant…

The twins, Tamaki, and Haruhi had disappeared, no doubt together. Whatever, I'd just pick out some clothes I'd like. I could probably stash it at Honey's place or the school. Then when I actually want to wear something that's comfortable and easy to move in, I could get it.

I picked out a few hoodies, t-shirts, loose jeans, shorts, and sweatpants that were all on sale. Then some boxer shorts to wear under my numerous skirts and dresses. In case I ever need to do a high kick while wearing a skirt…

I calculated the approximate total cost then went to find the trio and Haruhi.

"Hey, Haruhi~!" I called, searching for the now familiar brown head. I spotted her near the dressing room (that trio must have been dressing her up like a doll. Sorry Haruhi! I should have gone to save you!) and the trio, not surprisingly, was there too.

"Hey you guys," I said, my hands full with clothes. "I'm going to the checkout line. Ok?" They nodded with smiles before returning their attention to Haruhi.

She was wearing a very cute white dress. It really suited her, even though she had such short hair. I smiled. "Good!" I said to Haruhi with a thumbs up.

She smiled back. "Thanks."

Then I wandered around in search of the check out line. Through the men's section, and a small shoe section, and going and going…

Finally!

I piled the clothes onto the counter and retrieved my phone as I waited my turn. Time to see if this would work. If not, I should have enough money to buy these clothes.

"Azumi?"

"Rika-sama. How are you?"

"Good. There's some things I'd like to buy…"

"And what is it, Rika-sama?"

"Well, I want to buy some books but we'll be visiting the book store later." I said, trying to formulate a good way to phrase this.

"Well when you're about to purchase your books, call me, and I will activate the credit card." She said calmly.

Argh! Why can't she just activate it now?

"Could you activate it now?"

"What would you like to buy, Rika-sama?"

"Clothes," I replied, as simply as possible.

"What kind of clothes? What store is this?"

I sighed. Maybe this was impossible. "Azumi, please, I really want this dress. It's really cute, and I've never seen it's color." What a total lie.

"A dress?"

"Yes! You know, the ones I have at home are all pink and frilly… and they're starting to get boring."

"You'll show it to me when you return?" It's interesting that she doesn't say "come home." I tried to brush it off though.

"Of course, Azumi."

"And how much is it?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't look at the price tag properly. Oops, sorry. He he."

"Alright. I'll activate the card right now then. What store is this?"

"Z store." I said, moving down the register. Great, now I had to find a good dress at this store to show Azumi. The twins ran to me, holding something in their hands. It was a dress the same red color as my bow. It looked rather short and plain. Perfect!

I snatched it out of their arms with a big smile.

"Thank you." I said to them, and partly to Azumi too. They nodded, gave me a thumbs up, and then ran away. Did they do that on a whim or had they heard me talking on the phone? Whatever, they just saved me from a load of trouble.

I used my old credit card. Guess what? After the middle school thing, my parents unactivated it. Previously I'd been buying things for the gang, like books for us and whatever the members wanted: parts for Goofy, food for Akane, and a new pair of glasses for Mickey, et cetera. My parents rarely looked at the credit card bill. After it, nope! They told me that if I really needed to buy something, I could call Azumi and she'd activate it. She also had the power to accept or decline a transmission. So even if the card was activated, if she wasn't around to accept, nothing would go through.

What a pain.

Oh well. Now I don't have to pay with my saved up money!

After check out, I stood searching for the trio and Haruhi. I wandered back into the store, trying to find them. Changing rooms, nope. Ladies section, nope. Mens, nope. Shoes? Nope. Nowhere?

I was about to give up and call them when I walked by another exit of the store. There, in its glistening beauty, was a gorgeous book store.

Oh hallelujah. A book store! I can just hear the glorious music!

I ran right out of Z store and into the book store. It was huge, two stories tall, with escalators.

Manga section. Manga section? Where are you?

There you are!

On the second floor and nearly all the way across from the escalators stood the most beautiful bookshelf I had ever seen.

Ahhhhhhhhh! Great, holy manga! How much I've missed you! I stood in front of the shelf that held rows and rows of manga. This is heaven!

Look! Another volume of Yotsubato is out! Aw, she looks as cute as usual. And is that another Skip Beat and Naruto volume? Cool. And- Oh my God, it's the last volume of FMA! I dropped my shopping bags to snatch it up. Aw, I really want to add you to my now non-existent FMA collection! With the Al plushie and the Roy Mustang figurine. Whyyyyyyy?

Oh well, might as well read!

* * *

><p>I checked my watch. Oh, only an hour and about twenty minutes had passed… Wait. An hour and twenty minutes?! Oh crap!<p>

I crammed the Last Game volume into the shelf, grabbing my bags and the books I wanted to buy, and readying myself to leave. But I don't want to leave- Oh hey, is that some figurines? Oh wow! It's Zoro! Zoro from One Piece! Hey, and it's a chibi him too. Aw, so cute. I want a chibi Zoro.

I knelt down and picked up the box containing the figurine. Why is it 900 yen? Why's it so expensive? He's so tiny too. He's probably not even two inches tall. Ah, it'd be a bit of a waste to buy it like this. But I want a Zoro. He's so cool! And I always got Chopper whenever I tried for those bauble thingys. Or I'd get Franky. And Brook. And Nami. I want a Zoro…

I kept up this indecisive debate in my head for a while until someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned, wondering who it was.

Eh?

What was he doing here?

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger! DUM DUM DUM DUM!<strong>

**Review please! Opinions are greatly loved!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. A famous mouse's appearance!

**It's chapter 11! Yippee! Thank you guys for all the follows and favorites! :D Hope you guys keep reading and keep enjoying! And SUPER SPECIAL thanks to the following awesome peeps! **

**DreamTrance14: You're back! :P Mwahaha, it is revealed... soon! **

**MokonaBookworm: Lol, yeah Kyoya. How many of those mangas/animes do you know? **

**LuvPeaceCandy: It will ALL be revealed. At some point. :D **

**Love you guys! Thanks for sticking around! ^_^ **

**And now! **

**_NOTE TO ALL READERS:_ The next section happens when Rika is reading, like during that hour and twenty minutes. It fits vaguely into that time frame.**

** That was a long intro... Well, hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"Eh? Where'd Rika-senpai go?" Haruhi asked, as they stood at the check out line. The twins were admiring the little trinkets, gum, and candy being sold at the line. She hadn't bought much, just a few things she needed.

"Hm?" Tamaki said with a smile. Then it faded away at the realization. "Oh my God! Where did Rika-chan go?"

"What?" The twins said, looking up. "Isn't she…"

The four glanced around, concerned.

"Does anyone have her phone number?" Haruhi asked, as she stepped up to the line calmly.

"No…" The trio said sadly.

"What should we do?" Tamaki cried out. "What if Daddy's little girl got kidnapped?" What usually would have been brushed off as Tamaki's extravagant imagination could not this time. The four froze. If it was Rika, it certainly could happen…

Haruhi paid then began walking back into the store with the worried trio following behind her. They searched the store, splitting up effectively. When they found no sign of the short, black-haired girl, they left the store.

"We need a plan! At once!" Tamaki declared.

"Yes, Tono!" The twins said in reply, saluting and prepared.

"First, we must gather up the rest of the club." Tamaki said, speaking in a furious whisper for some reason. Haruhi could still hear them though. "I'll call Kyoya. You two call both Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, in case they're separated. Haruhi~ We need a place to meet up!"

"How about here?" Haruhi asked, stopping at a squarish plaza with scattered couches and coffee tables for the mall shoppers. "If Rika didn't get kidnapped, she probably didn't wander far."

"Excellent idea! As expected from Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted, attacking the said girl with a hug.

"Senpai, weren't you going to call Kyoya-senpai?" She asked.

"Right."

The trio busied themselves with their phones.

"Kyoya-senpai probably has Rika-senpai's phone number." Haruhi added. The three nodded in agreement. No doubt he would.

The other three Host Club members were fast to meet up with the rest. The moment Kyoya heard that Rika was gone, he quickly wrapped up his work and left. Honey, who had been with Mori, immediately dropped what he was doing and raced away, leaving Mori behind to finish things up.

Honey reached his hand into his pocket as he ran down the halls. He wasn't sure whether he should be upset with Tamaki and the twins. Or with himself. If Rika was hurt, wouldn't it have been because he hadn't gone along with her? A sour feeling twisted his gut. Surely she still had Usa-chan with her, right? If she did, then they could easily find her.

He pulled out the small device, turning it on as he rounded a corner.

He found the Host Club at the selected place. Everyone was already there, except Mori, who would catch up later.

"Honey-senpai," Haruhi called, waving her arm. Honey kept running. He wanted to find Rika as soon as possible.

"What happened?" He asked, stopping in front of them.

Kyoya sighed. "Rika's missing, but we don't know for sure what's happened."

"She could have been kidnapped!" Tamaki sobbed out.

"She probably just got bored of waiting for us and went to check out some other stores." Haruhi reasoned.

"Does anyone have her cell phone number?" Honey asked.

Kyoya sighed again. "No. I would be able to look it up, if someone had allowed me to bring my laptop."

"It's not in your black notebook, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked sweetly. He really wished Kyoya had it, even if it did irk him a bit.

Kyoya shook his head.

"She's gone!" Tamaki wailed.

"Calm down, senpai. Let's just search the mall." Haruhi said.

"Why don't we try one of those broadcast thingys?" The twins suggested.

"Hey that might work!" Honey said. Everyone seemed to brighten up at the idea.

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later~<strong>

Rika thought she heard a vague mall broadcast. But she was too absorbed in her manga. She was a deep, intense reader that could easily tune out all outside noises. So the mall broadcast, which hadn't been too clear in the bookstore in the first place, was simply ignored.

* * *

><p>"Why isn't she coming?" Tamaki said, clinging to Haruhi. "Where did she go?"<p>

"It seems it's time to notify the police and the Black Onion Squad." Kyoya said, pushing up his glasses darkly.

Mori nodded, having finally joined up with the Host Club.

"Wait, guys, calm down." Haruhi said, while shoving Tamaki away. She really didn't think that Rika got kidnapped. Something inside her told her otherwise.

"She should still be in the mall." Honey said, staring at the small pink, bunny-shaped device in his hand. "Either that or she's dropped Usa-chan."

"What?" Tamaki asked, poking his head over to look at the device.

"There's a small GPS in Usa-chan." Honey explained cheerily, though inside he really just wanted to dash over to where the blinking dot was. "In case I ever lose her, I can find her with this!"

"Let's get going then!" Tamaki said.

"Where do you think she went?" The twins mused as they followed Honey.

"Hmm… maybe a cake store?" Honey guessed. "Or a sweets store."

"Oh?" The twins said, exchanging glances.

"Where do you think she went?" Haruhi asked the twins.

"Maybe she went back to the toy store," Tamaki suggested. But Honey and Haruhi could both see that they were not going towards the toy store.

"Possible. She really didn't want to leave the toy store earlier." The twins said.

"What do you two think?" Honey asked turning to Kyoya and Haruhi. They both had a different place in mind.

"The bookstore," Haruhi said. Kyoya nodded in agreement. Although the others' thoughts had been reasonable, it seemed far more likely that Rika would go the bookstore. She did love manga (though only Kyoya knew this) and books after all.

And they arrived at a bookstore.

"Haru-chan, you're amazing! You guessed correctly!" Honey said, though it hadn't escaped his notice that Kyoya had thought the same. And Honey was still hoping that he wouldn't just find Usa-chan.

Then they heard a girl's scream.

"Th-That wouldn't be…" Tamaki didn't need to finish his sentence. The Host Club shot into the store, searching for the source of the sound.

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

Light, curly brown hair. Green rimmed glasses, just the way I'd last seen him. And those bright sea-green eyes.

He was wearing his navy blue t-shirt with neon green aliens on them over a white, long-sleeved shirt and dark gray sweatpants. It really looked like nothing had changed about him. Except he was taller and looked more mature.

I dropped the Zoro box onto its shelf. I could hear my heart pounding away. Slowly, slowly, I stood up.

He gave me that unsure, cheeky smile of his. Was it really him? Here? I glanced around, eyes searching for any familiar faces. It hadn't seemed like anyone had followed me here to the mall in the first place. Finally, deeming the coast clear, I turned back to the boy still standing in front of me patiently.

"Mi-Mickey?" I managed to choke out.

"Yup! It's me," He said with a nervous chuckle. I just kept gaping at him. Really? Mickey? Here? "You can stop staring at me like I'm an alien, Red."

I let out a delighted, and surprisingly loud, shriek. Then I tackled Mickey in a hug.

"Oh my God! Mickey! It's been so long! It really is you!" I said, laughing into his chest. He was so much taller than me now. Last time I'd seen him, he was barely half an inch taller than me.

He laughed with me, arms wrapping around. "It's good to see you too, Captain."

"Aw, shut up. I told you that name doesn't work." I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Oh, dude, is this Akane's bow?" His hands fingered my red bow.

I nodded. "Duh. Do you think I'd let my parents throw this away?"

He grinned. "What else do you still have?"

"Hm…" I stared up at him, trying to drink up his image. This was an amazing surprise, and there was no way I wouldn't take advantage of it. "Well I have Goofy's red notebook."

"And?" He prodded expectantly.

"The pen you and Minnie gave me...?" I said with a tilt of my head.

"Sweet!" He said, pumping his fists in delight.

"Except I don't know how it works. It's a great pen though! I've signed everything with that pen! How's Minnie by the way? How are you two doing? And the gang?"

"Minnie and I are fine!" He said, a bit too loudly. Ooh, okay, something went wrong.

"What happened? Did you say something rude again?"

"Oh come on, Red. I'm older now, don't you think I know what's rude to say?" He stared at me, and I just shook my head.

"Boys never know what to say to girls." I replied simply with a shrug.

He laughed, grinning and shaking off my comment easily. "Man. It's great to see you again!"

"Yeah!" I agreed as Mickey pulled me into another hug. Dang, he was so much taller than me. Argh! And his shoulders were much broader. He seemed stronger, tougher. Overall, more boyish. Nothing like the wimpy, bullied nerd I'd first met years ago.

"You! Unhand my daughter this instance!"

"Oh crap!" Mickey yelped, jerking away from me with his hands on my shoulders. He looked terrified. "Your dad's here?"

I started laughing. "No way! That's probably just Tamaki!" And the Host Club. And yup. I was right.

The Host Club screeched to a halt behind me. I smiled at them. "Guys, chill. This is my friend-"

"Release my daughter immediately!" Tamaki yelled, pointing at Mickey with a glare.

"Tamaki, please shut up." I said curtly. "You're ruining one of the most happiest moments of my life right now."

"Who's this, Rika-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"Ri-chan!" Honey wrapped his arms around my shoulder. What was he doing? Wait… Is this what they call… a back hug? I felt myself blushed. Oh dear.

"Hey, Rika-senpai, what did you buy?" The twins were now poking through my purchased clothing. Haruhi was now looking through the stack of books on the floor that I'd been planning on buying.

"Yasuda Mikiya," Kyoya said calmly. WTF? Oh wait, he probably read through my files _and_ all my friends'. Figured. "Currently attending Akawari High-"

"That's great!" I said, wiggling in Honey's arms to stop Kyoya. I really didn't want him to blab out my middle school shenanigans. "Now how about you all just stop?!"

"Ootori Kyoya," Mickey said in turn. I saw the tell-tale sign of his glasses shimmering. My eyes widened.

"Holy crap!" I jumped straight out of Honey's grip. "Dude, you and Goofy upgraded it?" Mickey grinned at me.

"Of course! What did you expect?" Then he turned to each of the Host Club member and listed their names one by one.

"A-Another Kyoya?" Tamaki said, looking horrified.

"They don't really seem like your friends though," Mickey said.

"Well-" I turned back to the chaotic Host Club.

"What do you want with Ri-chan?" Honey asked, pulling me behind him.

"Honey-" I said, trying to get past his arm barrier.

"Hm… I guess this should have been expected." Mickey said with an amused grin. "Gee, Red, no matter where you go, you just wrap the guys up around your finger huh? I'll have to tell Goofy."

"Don't tell Goofy anything!" I yelled, heatedly.

Mickey raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why not? Come on! He's been so gloomy ever since you left! I'm sure a good dose of jealousy wo-"

"Stop it Mickey," I growled.

"Who's Goofy?" Honey asked, turning to me so suddenly that our faces were inches apart. He looked worried for some reason. His eyebrows were furrowed together in a very un-Honey-esque way.

"Another old friend of mine. No worries, Honey." I replied. "I haven't seen him in years!"

Honey pouted. Gosh, he's too cute to resist!

"Oi, you, Haninozuka," Mickey said, grabbing Honey's arm and turning him around to face Mickey. "Stop taking advantage of my captain's weak spot."

"It's not my weak spot!" I yelled.

"Weak spot?" Honey turned back to me. "Ri-chan, you have a weak spot?" He made an adorable, questioning face.

I cringed away. "Of course I do. Now stop making cute faces!"

Honey laughed, hugging me. "So who is this guy?"

"My middle school friend," I said, wiggling again in Honey's hold. "Kyoya already introduced him. Yasuda Mikiya."

"No, Red. I think he's more concerned about who I am to you." Mickey said, placing an arm on top of my head.

"Yeah, yeah, you're finally much taller than me. Point has been taken, Mickey." I said, rolling my eyes at him. "_So how good is your English right now?_" I switched quickly to English.

"_Pretty good. I'm still friends with the whole gang and of course Akane hasn't changed much at all._" Mickey replied with a grin.

"What language is that?" a twin asked.

"English," Haruhi replied sounding surprised.

"_So remember that fake story of me spending middle school abroad? Yeah, want to play along with it?_" I asked Mickey, disregarding the curious stares of the Host Club.

"_Sure._" Then Mickey abruptly pulled Honey off of me. "Hey, you can relax because I have a girlfriend, and I'm not interested in Rika the way you are."

"Wha-" I said, eyes widening. "Mickey! What does that mean?"

"Sheesh, still stupidly dense when it comes to these things, aren't you?" Mickey said, tousling my hair with a hand.

"Who's dense? You better fix things with Minnie, or I'll march there myself to fix it!" I replied, waving a finger in his face.

He seemed to consider it, smiling up at the ceiling. "Actually, I'm sure everyone would love for you to come back and join us."

"That's not what I meant," I said, burying my face into Honey's shoulder. I'd forgotten just how tiring it was dealing with the gang. They really weren't much more different from the Host Club. Except that I didn't quite fit in the Host Club. They'd established themselves around Tamaki after all. Kind of like how the gang had been established around and by me.

"Uh, Rika-senpai," Haruhi said. "Want to explain?"

"Oh." I popped my head back out, dismissing the light flush on Honey's cheeks. "Well this is Mikiya. We went to middle school together, and we're good friends. Then I went to the stupid boarding school and never saw him again."

"Didn't you go study abroad for middle school though?" Honey asked in a very innocent manner.

"Yeah." I said.

"Which school?" Honey continued.

"Um, Sprucewell." It was on my file that I'd attended Sprucewell. My parents had had me enrolled and made it look like I actually had spent those years there. But if you had the brains and stuff, you could find Akamatsu Rika's file at Akawari Junior High.

"Is that where you learned English?" Haruhi asked. "You sounded like you were fluent in it."

"Eh? No, no. Not fluent. My reading and writing is really poor actually." I said. Ha ha, actually I suck at reading and writing. Akane only taught us how to speak it.

"Th-"

"Rika," Kyoya said, silencing the others immediately. "When will you tell everyone?" Wow. Really? He's like basically telling everyone I'm lying.

I sighed. "It depends. Let's leave this place first though."

I gathered up the books and my shopping bags. But well, Mickey took the books out of my hands then picked up the Zoro.

"Well…" I said.

"Oh come on, I'll pay for it if you're being so stingy." He said.

Honey reclaimed Usa-chan, who'd been sitting in my shopping bags. "Hey, Haruhi. Do you want any books?" I called to the girl, who'd been holding two books in her hands for a while.

"Eh? No, it's fine. I'll pay myself." She said, shaking her head quickly.

"No worries. I'm not actually paying." I waved my credit card in front of her as we headed towards the escalators.

"Forbidden to read and buy manga, but able to buy whatever you want?" Mickey asked, looking perplexed.

I snorted. "Yeah right, there's a bothersome process to go through whenever I want to use this. Really not worth it."

When we arrived at the line, I called Azumi. Wow. It was nearly two hours since I'd last called her. Time certainly flies when you're reading manga! And talking to old friends too, I guess.

"Everyone, shh." I said, holding a finger to my mouth. "Especially you, Mick."

When Azumi picked up, which wasn't even before the first ring, I said: "Azumi, hey, I'm at the book store. I have some books I'd like to buy. And no worries, they're all educational books and some novels, because I've already read the ones back home… Yes… Of course… Alright, thank you Azumi."

Then with a bright smile, even though she couldn't see it, I hung up.

"Dang, killer as usual." Mickey said quietly.

I grinned. "Of course. So tell me how everyone's doing. While we wait."

"Well," Mickey took a deep breath. He'd never been much of a muscle guy, so I took some of the books back from him. There were quite a few. "Akane's doing alright. She took your leave just as badly as Goofy did. For a few days, she was completely silent and ignored everyone and everything. It was even worse than before she met you. And nobody tried to call a club meeting or anything because nobody really knew what to do. But then one ga- I mean, club - came to challenge us so we had no choice. We beat them pretty easily and then finally held a meeting. Well obviously if we were going to continue, Akane would be the next leader, right? So she became the Pres but we never started any challenges. They came to us. We beat them. They left us alone."

"Huh. Interesting." I'd never heard what had happened after I'd left.

"Eventually, Akane decided that she wanted to finish up your plan. So she sent out a notice to all the, um, clubs and told them that she was going to establish peace."

I smiled. That was so Akane.

"Of course the other clubs didn't like it. Well, some did, but not all of them. She made up this fancy shmancy contract for all the clubs to sign. She said that our club was the top club, since we'd beaten every one of them before. And they all had to sign, saying that they would stop fighting and do productive stuff instead. She got them to sign, though we had to personally visit some of them and, you know, persuade them into doing it."

"So everyone's chill back there?"

"Yeah. Pretty chill. We're just a plain club now in high school."

"What do you guys do then?"

"We hang out. Do homework together. Goofy stopped making stuff after you left. Minnie stopped climbing every building she came across."  
>"Aw, really? That was so cool though."<p>

Mickey glanced at me with a small smile. "Seriously, Red, you have no idea how much of an influence you are in our lives."

I felt my heart melt a little. I really missed those noisy rascals back there. I smiled back, sure that there was a hint of sadness in it. "Thank you, Mickey. You guys are a big part of my life too."

"Were," He corrected. I raised my eyebrows, prompting him to continue. He nudged his head to gesture at the Host Club, being rowdy, quiet, and cheerful as usual, behind us. "These guys are now part of your life."

"Sure they are. But you guys will always have a bigger part in my heart." I smiled. Then cranked up its brightness. "Or are you suggesting, Mickey, that you know more about myself than I do? Cause you see, Mick, I really love you guys and miss you guys."

"Same," He said, glancing away. "Same."

I could feel a lump in my throat. I'd have to part with Mickey eventually. He couldn't hang around. I missed them. I missed them a lot. Akane's cold indifference and her shy kindness. Goofy's hyperness, his crazy ideas and inventions that just somehow work, and his short temper. Minnie and her sweet cooking, her gentleness, and her amazing acting. And Mickey. Now Mickey was here. But where were the others? My heart ached for them all.  
>I rubbed at my eyes, trying to force the tears back.<p>

"Mi-Mickey," I mumbled. The flood was coming but I didn't want to break down in front of the Host Club.

"I-I know," He replied. His voice was scratchy, the way it always was right before he cried. He patted my head gently. "I-I-"

"Next," Called the register lady. I kept my head bowed as I pushed the books onto the counter and presented the card to her.

Mickey and I both each took a bag of books and we left solemnly, with the Host Club trailing after. We stopped by some couches in the middle of the plaza square.

"I have to go," Mickey said.

"What were you doing here in the first place?" I asked, finally remembering what I'd been intending to ask.

"Checking out the universities here." He grinned. "I heard Ouran University is very good. Maybe I can get a scholarship."

I smiled. "Please don't. I'm not going."

"You aren't?" His eyes widened. I'd forgotten how bright those eyes were.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm thinking of studying abroad. Or getting some sort of job abroad. I don't really like it here."

"Even with little _cutesy_ boy over there?" Mickey gestured vaguely at Honey.

"Cutesy boy? What does he have to do with this?" I glanced at Honey who stared back calmly. He could probably hear us.

Mickey sighed and rolled his eyes. "Never mind. I'll be going then."

"Wait, don't you have a phone?" I asked, quickly retrieving my own flippy cell phone. "Let's exchange emails and phone numbers."

"Won't your parents-"

"Screw them." I muttered, heading to my email section. "They got me a new email account and phone. But don't worry, I've already secured my phone and email. They can't track it… I think."

"Let me see it." He held out his hand. I gave him the phone and he quickly began tapping at it. He even flipped it over and opened the case to examine where the battery was stored. I'd already checked that area for any tracker. After a while, he pulled out his own. "Okay. I got your email and number."

"You'll give it to Akane right? And Minnie?" I took back my phone.

"Not the Goofball, huh? Yeah. Alright. Oh, and I checked. It's secured." He smiled then ruffled my hair. "Good job."

"Hah, I learned from the best."

We hugged and then I watched as he walked away. Man, it sucked. Why couldn't he have stayed longer?

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"Hey, Akane. You were right. She was here… Yeah, I got her phone number and email… Don't worry… Yeah… I know… I'll tell you all about it when I get back… 'Kay, see ya."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally! You guys meet a member of the gang! I've been waiting for this to happen, lol. So what did you think? Do you like Mickey or not? Want to see more of the old gang? Review please! Opinions, suggestions, and all else are greatly welcomed!<strong>

****EDIT NOTE** *All dialogue that's _italicized like this_ means that those words are being spoken in English, see above example. Also, when Mickey calls Rika "Red" that's in English, so it's different from the Japanese word Red.***

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Blondies like hugs! Oh and new students

Thanks everyone for reading so far!

And to these following awesome peeps, thank you!

**DreamTrance14: **Yay! I'm glad you liked Mickey! Hehe, all shall be revealed... eventually.

**MokonaBookworm:** SO MUCH MANGA & ANIME! That's amazing! :D Manga is the best lol. And thanks for commenting on each chapter actually! :) It's great to get feedback and to know what's liked and not liked.

**iiAnimeLover: **Yeah! There's a whole lot of stuff coming up! Hope you'll like it!

**kingdomeheartsisawsome: **First, nice username! :D There's a reason behind the nicknames. But Mickey's Japanese name sounds like Mickey. Mikiya and Mickey. Yup. :)

**LuvPeaceCandy: **Tee hee! You're the first one to say something about Goofy and... Rika! Mmm hmm, I won't say any more. :D Thanks for reviewing!

**Quick note! All dialogue in italics means that it's spoken in English. (Forgot to put this in the last chapter. I'll update it to include this note.) Also, when Mickey called Rika "Red," it was in English.**

Oh and some characters from past chapters reappear in this. Hopefully you guys still remember them...

Here's the next chapter! Hope you guys like it!

* * *

><p>"What?" Tamaki said, mouth agape when he found that Mickey had left. "That Mickey boy left?"<p>

"Aw, we wanted to get to know him better." The twins said with grins.

I grinned. "Come on. Aren't there other places we haven't been to yet?"

For the rest of the day, we wandered the mall, checking out some other stores that seemed vaguely interesting, like a hat store and a cell phone store. We ate lunch at the cafeteria in the mall. This time Honey treated us, with the exception of Kyoya, who never liked owing anyone anything.

We hopped on the limo later in the afternoon, dropping the twins and Haruhi off first. Then it was Kyoya, and then on our way to Honey and my house.

"Oh, hey, Honey, do you think I could keep some stuff…" I trailed off, staring at the Zoro figurine box in my hands. No, how could I ask Honey for such a favor?

"Sure!" Honey said.

I looked up and blinked at his smiling face. "What?"

"Do you want to put some of your things at my house?" He asked. "Like that figurine and some of those clothes."

"Y-Yeah, but-"

"But what?" He smiled innocently. "It's fine, Ri-chan. Our house is big anyway." I glanced at the remaining two other Host Club members. Mori just nodded.

Tamaki though was staring with wide eyes and then asked, "Why would you need to put your clothes at Honey's place? You didn't buy anything...scandalous, did you?"

I sighed but smiled. "Not scandalous, Tamaki, geez. It's just jeans and t-shirts and stuff my parents don't approve us."

"Why are your parents like that, Rika?" Honey asked, again using an innocent look.

I stared at his sweet eyes. "I'll tell you. Eventually."

"What? My daughter is hiding secrets from us?" Tamaki said. "Don't worry, Rika-chan, if you have any problems, you can always tell us."

I smiled. "Thanks, Tamaki. You're really sweet."

And off he was with stars glittering around him.

"I'll take them in if you'd like," Honey said. "I can put them in the closet."

"You'll do that? You wouldn't mind me randomly visiting you just to get some clothes?" I said with a small laugh.

"'Course not!" Honey grinned.

"Then do you want this Zoro?" I held out the figurine. "He's pretty cute huh?" He took the box, studying the green-haired swordsman.

Honey grinned, chuckling. "Sure. I'll put him on my desk."

"Okay. Thanks a bunch Honey!" I hugged him quickly then went back to my seat.

* * *

><p>And then, when I returned home, Azumi was standing at the door, hands on her hips. She smiled at an attempt to seem kind and friendly.<p>

"Hello, Azumi." I said, mirroring her friendly attitude.

"Hello, Rika-sama. How was your day?" Azumi followed me into the kitchen, where I set my shopping bags on the floor and reached for the fridge.

"It was fun." I pulled out the milk and fetched myself a cup. As I poured myself milk, I watched as Azumi pulled out my books. "Commoners' mall have a lot of things. Did you know that Azumi? There were so many clothing stores. It was a very interesting experience."

"And everything went well?" She asked, scanning each of my books.

"Oh yes." I put the milk back in.

"Even though you went with all boys, except for that one girl?" Azumi now had the clothes bag in her hands. She pulled out the red dress.

"That's the one I was talking about, Azumi." I said cheerily, sipping my cold milk. "What do you think?"

"I'm sure you look beautiful in it, Rika-sama." Azumi replied with a really fake smile. I had also purchased a few skirts, and they were all not pink. Then there was some underwear that Azumi quickly dismissed.

"Is Mother and Father going to return home anytime soon?" I finished my milk and went to put it in the sink.

"Your parents are busy as always, Rika-sama. But I believe your mother will be home next weekend but only for a few days."  
>"Alright then. Are you done, Azumi?"<p>

She looked up from rummaging through my bags and finally nodded with a very quiet sigh. She must have had a rough day to be so easily readable.

"I'll be in my room then. Thank you, Azumi." Then I grabbed my things and went upstairs. Reading time!

* * *

><p>There were two transfer students, and they were both in my first class.<p>

One was the girl I'd met on Friday, Minami Chiyo. She was in the 3rd year math class because she was apparently very smart. The guys were immediately smitten when they saw her bright smile.

"Hello, senpais!" She said cheerily. "Please take care of me!"

The other girl was a third year. "H-Hello. I'm Kurosawa Tomiko. Please take care of me." She bowed. She had dark-brown hair, tied into two pigtails. She had glasses, side bangs, and a shy smile. Really, she gave off that classic bookish girl. You know that nerd who's best friends with the main shojo character. That girl.

She seemed nice at the very least. Chiyo and Tomiko were put together, sitting to my right. Chiyo quickly took the seat closer to me and flashed me a brilliant grin.

"Senpai! I can't believe I'm in the same class as you!" She said excitedly. I swear she was making an XD face. Like, how do humans do that?

"Yeah," I replied with a smile.

Honey glanced over. "You know her, Ri-chan?"

I nodded. "I met her on the day I was kidnapped. The second time." Chiyo and Tomiko both heard, perking up at the news.

"Kidnapped?" Chiyo's mouth hung open. "Wh-What?"

"Don't worry about it, Minami-san." I smiled pleasantly.

"Yes, ma'm!" She replied with a beam.

"Minami, Hayashi, be quiet." The teacher said. We shut up after that. I waved goodbye to Chiyo after class and followed Honey and Mori to our next class.

Tomiko was in that class. I smiled at her warmly. Transferring during this time probably wasn't too fun.

She smiled back. "H-Hi," she said shyly.

"Hello. I'm Hayashi Rika." I said, bowing in greeting.

"Haninozuka Mitsukuni! But you can just call me Honey." said with a flower-producing grin. Tomiko blushed at the sight. "And this is Morinozuka Takashi. You can just call him Mori." Honey gestured at the ever-present, looming giant. Next to Mori, I probably looked as small as Honey. Well, we were the same size…

"N-Nice to me-meet you!" Tomiko said, blushing and bowing quickly.

She was in four of my classes: the first two and the last two classes. And it turned out that Chiyo was in three of my classes: first, third, and fourth.

The bell that signaled the end of class had just rung and I was chatting with Yukimura Naoko and Ishii Hanako, who'd both came from the same middle school.

"-and that one part-" Naoko said with excited eyes. We'd been talking about this series the three of us all loved.

"-yeah, that was so cool!" Hanako squealed with a grin. I nodded along with enthusiasm. It wasn't a very popular series, so this was the first time I'd met people who'd read the books too.

"Senpai!"

I turned and was immediately tackled into a hug. I stumbled but managed to keep my footing. Looking down, I saw a head of blond hair. Uh…

"Minami-san?" I said hesitantly.

She raised her head, eyes wide. Aw, she's so cute! Just like a puppy! "Senpai! You're so cute! And huggable!" She squeezed me in a death hug, nearly shoving my face into her big boobs. GAH! What is this! A manga moment?! That was a close one.

"Th-Thanks, Minami-san." I croaked out.

"Oh, just call me Chiyo, Senpai!" Chiyo said, pulling away from me with an innocent look. "Go ahead! Chiyo!"

"Chiyo." I repeated after her.

"Kya! So cute!" She squealed, hugging me again. "Oh, right. I came to ask about the Host Club. Do you know where their room is?"

"Host Club?" Two voices echoed from behind us.

Naoko and Hanako were now staring at us quite intensely.

"Oh! More senpais! Hello!" Chiyo said, grinning.

"There's Rika-senpai!" Another pair of voices. Oh dear, I've gotten quite familiar with those voices…

Arms latched around my shoulders, knocking off my balance. "Rika-senpai! Rika-senpai! Time for the Club! You can't run away this time!" said the demon twins.

"Did Kyoya send you two from the depths of Hell or something?" I asked them.

They just grinned cheekily. "Yup!"

"Don't reply like that!" I yelled with a scowl.

The three were staring. I gulped. I did not just cuss, yell, and furrow my eyebrows in front of these girls… Yup. I did.

"So cute!" Chiyo said, hugging me. Great, now there are three people clinging onto me.

"Rika-san," Yukimura said with a smile. "You're part of the Host Club?"

"Yes," I replied, as the twins rubbed their cheeks against mine.

"Get off my senpai!" Chiyo frowned, shoving the twins away. "She's mine! Cutesy Rika-senpai is mine!"

"Huh?" That was the twins and me.

She smiled and then contented herself to hugging me. It was a really one-sided hug, since it was more of a side hug.

"Whatever, let's go Rika-senpai. Kyoya-senpai will come personally if we don't get over soon." The twins grabbed my arms again.

"Wait! Wait!" This time it was Hanako, who'd finally seemed to come out of her shock. "Rika-san, what will you do there?"

"I'm hosting. Apparently," I replied.

"Th-Then, could I come?" Hanako asked.

"Of course!" I said with a smile. "I'd love it actually!"

"I want to go too!" Chiyo declared.

"Then I'll come too," Yukimura said with a smile that quickly turned rather sly. "Let me go and fetch a friend of mine first though…."

Why do I not like the sound of that?

But before I could say anything else, I was being dragged away by a certain pair of twins. "It's Music Room Number 3! Come to save me from boredom!"

* * *

><p>In the music room, I was shoved into the dressing room and tossed a package of something. When I looked at it, it turned out to be clothes. Or, more accurately, a dress.<p>

"What is this?" I asked, inside the curtains. It seemed the twins were still outside.

"Your outfit for the day!" They said.

"What outfit? I don't remember agreeing to cosplaying!" Pulling out the dress revealed that it looked suspiciously like a maid outfit.

"Rika, on the contract, you clearly signed that you would participate in all club activities." The demon lord had entered. "Dressing up is one of them."

"I've been tricked!" I yelled, horrified.

"Just hurry up!" cried two very impatient voices. "We want to do your hair and makeup too!"

"Hair and makeup? Good God, no."

Kyoya cleared his throat. I sighed. "Okay, fine. Fine. I won't break the contract a second time. Happy, Kyoya?"

"Thank you, Rika."

Hm. Sometimes Kyoya can sound really nice. I changed. It was a very short, black dress with an ironed on white apron, from the looks of it. It poofed out ridiculously at the ends, and the black sleeves were puffed out too. There was even a black bow at the back.

"Okay, I'm done." I pulled the curtain away. The twins were standing by a chair with a box of makeup and a comb in each hand. I sat down with a heavy sigh.

"Carry on."

"Yay!"

One hand immediately reached for my bow. Oh no you don't!

I grabbed the hand and the next one that came.

"What are you doing, Rika-senpai?" said Hikaru.

"I thought you said you'd let us do whatever we want." said Kaoru.

"I did not say that!" I said hotly. "And besides, no one gets to touch my bow." I took my red bow off quickly, slipping it on my wrist.

"But you let that Mickey boy touch it," Hikaru said mischievously.

"Yeah because it's Mickey." I replied, as they proceeded to comb my hair.

"What makes him so special?" Kaoru asked.

"I trust him with my life." I said quietly, staring at the white tiled floor. "And he's friends with my best friend who gave me this bow."

"Hm…" The twins said, now pulling at my hair. "Okay, done with the hair!"

"You can put your bow back on." Kaoru said, as they moved to the front for makeup. It was quite awkward because they were very close to me. And they kept staring at my face. Even though I know that's how it's supposed to work, it still felt very awkward.

They'd tied my hair into two ponytails. Great, as if I don't look childish enough. I slipped the red bow onto the right ponytail, securing it there tightly.

"Done!" They said. I hopped off the chair and to the full-length mirror that laid against the wall.

I saw a little girl. It was certainly not a high schooler, and the oldest would probably be a 6th grader. The ponytails, bangs, and my naturally round face made me look like a little kid. And the light makeup, which made my cheeks glow, only helped to bring out my childish features. I pouted. I hated looking like a kid. And- oh great. Pouting makes me look like a spoiled brat ready to throw a tantrum.

"Aw, Rika-senpai is so cute!" The twins cooed.

I stopped pouting just to stop looking at myself like that. The dress was short and showed off my legs. A bit too much really. Gosh, really. Why did I have to look like this?

We exited the back room to where the other host club members were waiting. The twins, Tamaki, and Kyoya were dressed in waiter outfits, while Haruhi, Honey, and Mori wore yukatas.

"Aw, Rika-senpai, you look so cute!" Haruhi said with a warm smile.

"Thanks, Haruhi." I smiled back. "You look nice too-"

"Rika-chan!" I stumbled as a particular blond attacked me with his infamous hugs. "You look so cute!" He lifted me off the ground, twirling me around while still in his crushing hug.

"T-Tamaki," I gasped. "C-Can't breath!"

He couldn't hear though, gushing about how "cute" and "pure" I looked. And how "Daddy's so happy."

I was getting really dizzy now. "He-Help!" I squeaked out. If this were a manga, my eyes would probably be mere spirals.

I felt two hands on my waist gently lift me into the air. I gasped, grabbing my dress and pulling it down. Then I was set on the ground, just as gently. When I looked up, I saw the warm eyes of Mori, smiling just a bit.

"Phew, thanks Mori." I said with a sigh, hugging him real quickly.

"Ri-chan!"

Great. Another tackle hug. If I didn't know any better, I'd start to think that all blondies have a habit of tackle-hugging the people they like. For example, Tamaki, Honey, and now even Chiyo.

Except, Honey had come from the back and now had his arms wrapped around my waist. I couldn't help the blush that crept up. Re-Really now, why did this only happen with Honey?

"H-Honey!" I said. Then I shook my head. No, I was not going to stutter and stammer like an idiot just in front of Honey. Blushing I could handle, but not stuttering.

"Hey!" He said with his usual grin as I turned around to see him.

I smiled back genuinely. His smile seemed to always lift my spirits up. All the sudden, I didn't really mind being here.

"Ri-chan's so cute like this!" Honey said, causing another light blush.

"I look like a little kid though," I made my pouty face. He giggled, poking at my puffed out cheek. "See what I mean?"

"No! It's super cute!" He hugged me again.

"Thanks," I smiled.

Then someone cleared his throat, quickly attracting attention. We all turned to see Kyoya, with his black notebook and a pen in hand. "Now the only issue left is your type, Rika."

"My type?" I said, confused.

"Yes," Tamaki said, jumping in eagerly. "You see, Kyoya is the Cool type. Honey is the Lolita-Shota type. Mori the Wild type." I giggled at that. Wild? In what way? "The twins are the Devil type, while Haruhi is the Natural type. And I am the Princely type." He then flicked his bangs in a very flashy manner.

"Princely, haha," I giggled. That sent Tamaki into his emo corner, causing a sigh from Haruhi and grins from the twins.

"With your appearance," Kyoya said, trying to bring the group back to the topic at hand. "You could be the lolita-shota type, but Honey-senpai already has that covered."

I glanced at Honey, who just sent me a flowery grin instead.

Then the ground began to shake.

"Woah!" I said, grabbing the nearest thing to steady myself. Which happened to be Honey's arm. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up to my feet, as a strange platform began to spiral out of the ground. "What is going on?"

"Oh ho ho ho!" The lights were shut off, leaving only one spotlight at the revolving platform. It stopped with another shudder, and there was a brown-haired girl sitting and drinking tea calmly, as if she did not just come out of the ground like that. "I overheard your dilemma. As the Ouran Host Club manager, I should meet this new member!"

She set her tea cup down and hopped off her platform. What? It looked like it was six feet off the ground!

Very gingerly, she walked over to me and bowed. "I am Houshakuji Renge."

"Hayashi Rika," I said with a bow. "Third year."

"Hm." Renge began to walk around me, inspecting me with an intense stare. She circled around me slowly. "If you ran into someone what would be the first thing you do?"

"Uh, say I'm sorry…?"

She frowned. "No! You must have confidence! Do that again!"

"Say I'm sorry," I said with a quiet sigh.

"And then?"

"Help the other person up."

"Hm…" Renge nodded slowly. "Perhaps a tsundere?" She turned to Kyoya, as if for confirmation. "Yes! A tsundere would be an excellent addition to the Host Club."

"I'm not a tsundere." I said, while the other members began murmuring in the background:

"What's a tsundere?" Kaoru was asking Kyoya.

"Let's see. It says here that it's a term to describe a character that acts cold or harsh on the outside but has a soft and vulnerable interior at times." Kyoya replied, probably having looked it up.

"Hm. Then Rika-senpai's not a tsundere," Hikaru said.

"Yeah, more like the opposite of a tsundere." Kaoru said and the twins started to giggle. Wow, really? But I guess that was true.

"Hey, Ri-chan, what's the opposite of a tsundere?" Honey asked, now holding Usa-chan in his arms.

"A yandere." Renge answered calmly. "What does this girl know about tsunderes? Unless you're an otaku too?"

"I am," I replied curtly, crossing my arms. "And for your information, there are actually two kinds of tsunderes. The first is the most commonly seen one, where the tsun-tsun part is default. But Type B is where the dere-dere side is default, and there's a hidden violent side that is triggerable."

"Rika-senpai, are you admitting that you have a hidden violent side?" The twins asked, snaking their arms around my waist.

"No. I'm just saying that Type A and B of tsunderes are opposites." I said, gently pushing them away. "Anyway, why do I need a type? I'm the only girl, so it's fine right?"

"Perhaps," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up.

"I know what Rika-chan's type is!" Tamaki jumped over, a finger in the area and an excited smile on his face.

"What?" I asked. Renge just frowned, crinkling her nose ever so daintily. Dang, I didn't know how to do that.

"The perfect princess type," Tamaki said with a dramatic arm flourish. "Rika-chan is smart, beautiful, and a lady."

The twins snorted then burst out laughing. "That's the funniest joke Tono has made in a long time!" They said through their giggles.

"Oh very funny," I said, rolling my eyes. But I smiled too. I was more likely to be the evil queen type than the perfect princess type.

"That is a terrible type!" Renge suddenly said, looming over Tamaki. It seemed like thunder and lightning was behind her. "Perfect princesses _don't_ exist, you fake fool!"

"There, there," I patted Tamaki's head as he started crying and clinging onto my waist. "Anyway, can we just leave this type thing alone for now? And how am I supposed to host exactly?"

"You just talk to people." Haruhi said with a smile, prying Tamaki off of me.

"Just talk?"

"It'll be just like what you were doing in the library the last time," Kyoya said. "You'll be fine, Rika."

"Ok. Then can I please just not have a type? Not that many people know about tsunderes anyway."

"Just what qualifies you to be a Host?" Renge asked, encircling me again. "Is it your cute, childish looks?"

"Rika-senpai is very smart." Haruhi piped in, gaining the nods of agreement from Honey, Mori, and Kyoya.

"Aw, thanks, you guys." I said grinning back.

"What do you do in your free time?" Renge asked, continuing the interview.

"Read. Bake."

"Anything else?"

"Listen to music. Well, I used to play video games, practice my martial arts, and read manga. But nope! Not anymore. "

"What about your social life?"

I sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "What about it?"

"Who are your friends?"

"These guys," I gestured at the gathered Host Club. Renge frowned, stopping in her path around me.

"You'll have to give me some time to think about this." Renge said, turning away. Her platform began to spin back down. She hopped on it with ease and grace. "For now, you'll have to make do. Good bye!"

"What the hell." I muttered, as the floor closed over the hole, and she disappeared. Several of the Host Club members had left during the interview, leaving only the twins, Kyoya, and me.

"Okay, let's go now." The twins each grabbed one of my hands and led me out of the room and down the stairs.

Wait, what?

"Where are we going?" I asked, as we burst outside.

"Today, we are having club activities outside!" Hikaru told me. We stopped at a wide, grassy spot.

Oh my.

There were gorgeous cherry blossom trees above. Beautiful. I let out a quiet sigh, admiring the pretty view. The soft, pale pink color of the blossoms glowed from the sunlight. The wind tinkled the branches, letting a flurry of blossoms drift down.

"It's beautiful!" I said, throwing my arms in the air.

"It is." Haruhi agreed. There were dainty chairs around dainty tables, covered with a table cloth and fancy tea cups all set up. "The cherry blossoms here are the best."

"Everyone, get in your positions." Kyoya called out calmly.

"Positions? Do I have a position Kyoya?" I asked, running over towards him.

"Stand behind us." He replied, as everyone began to gather in a formation, with Tamaki sitting in the middle. "We'll properly introduce you."

"Okay." I said, going to stand behind Mori.

"Welcome!"

I started fidgeting. Gah! What if I messed up? I'd definitely have to check my temper. I tugged at the edge of the dress as Tamaki began introducing each of the members.

"And now, we have a new member joining our club!" Tamaki said.

"Oooh," said the girls gathered. I couldn't see them, but that was just fine.

"The Ouran Host Club has decided to add a hostess, to chat with you fine ladies about all the latest trends."

He did not just say that. There is no way I'm going to be talking about dresses and high heels and _makeup_ with frivolous girls! I can't do that! Didn't Kyoya say it'd be like the library? At the library, we talked about books!

"A brilliant student, this hostess has adorable looks and a sweet smile! Let's welcome, Hayashi Rika!"

The Host Club members stepped to the side, making way to reveal me. I stood under the mixture of intrigued, annoyed, and surprised stares. I smiled hesitantly, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. "Hello everyone! It's nice to meet you all. I look forward to spending my time with you lovely ladies." I curtsied, since it seemed more befitting with my outfit.

In response, I received a chorus of: "WAH~! So cute!"

After that, the Hosts split into their respective places. Honey, Mori, and Haruhi were together, sitting under one tree on a blanket. The twins, Tamaki, and Kyoya took some tables. Girls were everywhere: sitting, standing, talking, and laughing.

Ok. It was time to host.

* * *

><p><strong>For some reason this chapter just feels rather empty.<strong>

**So how was Renge? I actually have no idea how to write her at all. Except that she's dramatic, a crazy otaku, and... yeah. Do you guys think that was a good Renge? I hope she doesn't have to appear again, lol. **

**I'm putting up a poll on my profile page (it's so empty lol) so if you feel like it go and check it out! It's just another way to get some input. **

**Anyone remember Yukimura Naoko and Ishii Hanako? Yes? No? Please review!**

**And thank you for reading!~**


	13. Hosting: chaos and confusion

Suuu-per major thanks to **DreamTrance14** and **iiAnimeLover** for your reviews! ^_^ Now you can find out how Rika does with hosting!

And **LuvPeaceCandy**, thank you so much! More will be revealed in like... a few more chapters, lol I have it planned out and ready! :D So hope you stick around for it.

Thanks for the follows and faves!

Warning: More cussing in this chapter.

Hope you like it!

* * *

><p>"Rika-senpai!"<p>

I stumbled sideways as I was pulled into a hug by none other than Minami Chiyo. Really, how many times would I be hugged like this?

"Chiyo-san, please let go." I said, sitting down at my station. It was a blanket under one particularly large cherry blossom tree.

"Yes!" She sat down right next to me at my left with a big beam. "You look so cute like that, Rika-senpai! Adorable! So adorable that I could just eat you up!"

Okay. That's just a bit creepy.

I smiled as if her last line hadn't given me the chills. "Thank you, Chiyo-san. Would you like some tea?" I reached for the tea pot on a tray.

"Of course."

I poured her a cup, then handed it to her elegantly in the way I'd been taught. She smiled. "Thank you."

"Hey, Rika-san!" It was Hanako, waving and smiling happily.

"Hey, Hanako-san! Have a seat." I said with a grin. "Is Naoko-chan coming?"

Hanako sat down across from me. "Yeah, she's bringing a friend." She grinned. Uh, I did not like the sound of that. "You'll see later. So what are you supposed to do as a Host?"

"Well, would you like some tea?" I asked, leaning towards the teapot.

"Yeah, sure."

We sipped our tea and sat there quietly.

"So?" Hanako said.

"Don't you think the cherry blossoms are pretty?" Chiyo asked.

"Yes, they're very nice." Hanako replied.

"Not prettier than you two are," I said with a smile. It was an attempt at flirting the way Tamaki and the others did.

Hanako stared at me and began shaking her head. "Please don't."

"Aw! I love you too, Rika-senpai!" Chiyo yelled, hugging me again. "Kyaa~! You are so cute!"

I smiled. "Uh, thanks, Chiyo-san. You're very cute yourself."

"Rika-chan!"

The three of us turned to greet the newcomer, Naoko. She was dragging someone behind her, but I couldn't quite tell who.

"Hey, Naoko-chan!" I said with a grin.

She sat down next to Hanako, pulling her friend down to sit between her and me. I blinked. Wait, wasn't that?

"Shuji?" I said. Wait, no. What was his last name? He glanced at me, blushing. "Uh.. What was your last name?"

"Shuji's fine!" Naoko said cheerily, smacking Shuji playfully.

"It's Tsukino Shuji," said a different voice. We glanced up to see Kyoya, who was standing over us with a strangely dark look on his face. "I see you four are all new guests to the Host Club." He smiled charmingly. "Are you enjoying yourself so far?"

"Yes." The girls said.

Shuji just sat, looking dumbfounded. He glanced at me again, biting his lip. Aw, he's so cute like that! "Hi," he said quietly.

I smiled. "Hello! Naoko-chan forced you to come huh?" I could hear Kyoya talking to the girls amiably.

"Yeah. Well, I didn't know that we were coming here." He turned away. "B-But, uh, you l-look really...nice."

I grinned and even laughed a bit. "Aw, thank you, Shuji-kun. I'm glad you came."

"Well then, Tsukino-san," Kyoya said, interrupting once more. "You are officially the Ouran Host Club's first male guest."

Shuji blushed even more, lowering his head. I looked up at Kyoya, sending him a furious glare. He stared back calmly.

"Don't do that, Kyoya." I said, while trying to silently communicate that he was going to scare away Shuji. And Kyoya wasn't too fond of losing customers, right?

"Kyoya-san," Naoko said. "You chose a very nice place today. The cherry blossoms are very beautiful."

"Yes. Beauty is as vain as these cherry blossoms." He extended an arm out to a nearby cherry blossom, attracting attention from other customers. "You will never be able to see the same shape for two days… so I made a photo album to capture such day to day beauty."

Oh my- I face palmed as Kyoya began showing off the photo album. He was immediately surrounded by girls, waving thousands of yen in his face.

"Wow." Hanako said.

The rest of us just nodded quietly in agreement.

"So Chiyo-san," I said. "How are you liking Ouran so far?'

"It's great!" She grinned. "Everything here is so nice and pretty! And everyone's nice! And this club is great! Oh! And I invited a friend to come today, but I'm not sure if she'll come."

"Who?" Naoko asked curiously.

"It's Tomiko-senpai!" Chiyo said cheerily. "She's so cute and shy!"

"Oh, the other transfer student." Shuji said quietly. He was staring at the tea in his hands. I smiled. He kind of reminded me of Mickey when I'd first found him. He looked up at me and blushed again, turning away.

Uh… Is that supposed to mean something?

Let's see. I blush when I'm either embarrassed or… uh, around Honey… Wait what? Gah! I'm so confused!

"Is something wrong, Rika-chan?" Naoko asked. Her head was tilted to the side and she looked concerned.

"Nothing, just a bit confused right now." I shook my head, when I heard a weird yelp from Chiyo.

"Tomiko-senpai! Over here!" Chiyo started waving enthusiastically. We all turned to Tomiko, who was standing by the gates to the particular garden. She was wringing her hands and biting her lip, glancing around.

Tomiko stepped over hesitantly, then quickly rushed over to us. She sat down in between Shuji and me, looking at her knees.

I scooted over to give her some more room, smiling at her warmly. "Hello! I'm glad you could come and join us!"

She looked at me hesitantly and managed a small smile. "Hi. Ha-Hayashi-san."

"You can just call me Rika, if you'd like." I said. "How are you liking Ouran, Kurosawa-san?"

Tomiko nodded. "It-It's good."

"Would you like some tea?" I asked, reaching for the pot. She nodded again. "It must be hard to transfer at this time of the year."

"It's a bit rare for two people to transfer at the same time," Hanako said speculatively. I handed Tomiko the tea.

"Yeah! It is!" Chiyo agreed.

"So why did you transfer, Chiyo-san?" I asked, sipping my own tea.

"I just moved here!" She still had that big grin. "My dad got a big promotion all of the sudden, and we had to move here for his job. And my mom was like, hey let's send Chiyo to Ouran! Since Ouran's such a good school."

"Ah." I nodded, before turning to the other transfer student. "What about you, Tomiko?'

Tomiko blushed at the sudden attention. "Well, I-I've been homeschooled for a while." She said, adjusting the school uniform. "A-And, n-now I'm h-here. I wa-wanted to come here, just for-for some ex-experience at a p-public school."

"Are you going to Ouran University then?" Naoko asked.

Tomiko shrugged. Her face turned an even darker red.

Ah, see. You blush when you're embarrassed and uncomfortable… Well, of course Shuji would be uncomfortable here. He's the only guy aside from the Host Club! That explains it!

But, from my experience with shojo manga… One most commonly blushes when around one's crush/loved one. GAH! You know what, I don't want think about it. Certainly not here!

We talked, drank tea, and ate some snacks. Hanko had to leave pretty quickly, and after that Naoko and Shuji left too. Then some other girls I didn't know came to join us. Tomiko left once they appeared, blushing madly as usual.

"I'll be going too then, Senpai." Chiyo said with a sweet smile. She hugged me briefly and was gone.

"Hello!" I said to the new girls.

"Hi," They said with excited smiles.

"So why did you join the Host Club?" One girl asked.

I shrugged. "Well… I've always liked talking to people, girls especially. So why not? Besides, the Host Club has the prettiest girls."

"Ooh." They said, giggling and smiling.

"Rika-san, you aren't… a lesbian or bi are you?" Another girl asked, eyes widening. The question sent other girls in fangirl mode, squealing and talking to each other in a manner that only they could understand.

"Last I checked," I said, smiling. "I wasn't."

"Aw, you're straight?" One said. Then gasped. "I-I didn't mean that."

I laughed. That was really unexpected. "But, um, there's always the possibility, you know. My aunt is lesbian, and I have a cousin who's bisexual."

"Then, Rika-senpai, do you have a crush on one of the Hosts?" This girl gave me a sly smile.

"Hm… Um. Maybe?" I gave them an unsure look.

"You don't know?" Several of them said, shocked.

I grinned sheepishly. "I, uh, well… Can we just not talk about this?" I turned away, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"KYA~!"

"Rika-san's blushing!"

"So cute!"

Uh. What? Okay, that was not intended, but since it had a positive effect… then whatever.

"Hey, Rika-senpai, what's your type then?"

"Yeah, yeah, all the Hosts have a type."

"Do you have one?"

"Not yet," I replied. Then I smiled. "What type do you girls think I should have?"

"I heard Rika-san was very smart," One girl said to the others.

"And she's as cute as Honey-senpai too!" Another girl squealed. Then one girl froze with a gasp. Our gazes swung to her.

"I-I know!" The girl said, waving a hand in the air. The other girls seemed to take in a deep breath in anticipation.

"What is it?" They yelled.

"Tell us, tell us!"

The one girl smiled. "Rika-senpai's type… is Kyoya-senpai and Honey-senpai's secret child!"

"EH?!" Nearly the entire club had heard. Silence settled, as everyone stopped what they were doing to stare in our direction.

"Wh-What?" I glanced around, looking frightened and surprised for sure.

"It makes perfect sense!" The girl said, standing up with sudden passion. "Rika-senpai has Honey-senpai's adorable looks! And she has Kyoya-senpai's excellent brain! See? It all works out!"

"No!" Several voices cried out. I think Tamaki's was one of them.

"That's really weird." I mumbled to myself.

"What do you think?" The girl crossed her arms triumphantly.

"No." Kyoya said.

"Y-Yeah!" Honey said, standing up from where he'd been sitting. "Th-That's really weird to imagine!"

The nearby girls cooed at how cute Honey looked. I shook my head with a sigh. Kyoya and Honey? Oh I don't even want to try imaging that. Ugh noooo! I never was one for yaoi, but it didn't mean I'd never read a yaoi manga before!

I continued chatting with the girls, trying to steer the conversation far, far away from the previous topic. We talked about the Host Club boys, the school, latest clothing trends and more until the Host Club finally ended.

"That felt like the longest hour of my life." I mumbled when the Host Club returned to Music Room 3. The guys were carrying in the tea sets in boxes. Haruhi and I had the blankets, napkins, and overall lighter material.

"You'll get used to it," Haruhi said with an encouraging smile. We set down our stuff in the storage room and walked back out.

"Aw, thanks Haruhi." I grinned and hugged Haruhi.

"Do we get a hug too?" The twins asked, popping up next to us. I turned to them with a sly grin and pulled the two in so that the three of us had Haruhi surrounded.

"Yay! Haruhi sandwich!" I said.

"What? What Haruhi sandwich?" Tamaki said, quickly dropping the box he was carrying. "I want to be part of this too! Wait! What are you two devil twins doing with my Haruhi?"

Haruhi just stood in the middle with that usual blank look of hers. Tamaki started running over, yelling insults at the twins. The twins just pulled Haruhi closer to them while grinning and chuckling evilly.

Okay, this did not go as I had expected…

I'd been aiming more for a group hug. Not, like, a battle for Haruhi. I sighed, grabbed Haruhi's hand, and, at the last moment, yanked her out of the twins' grip and off of Tamaki's path.

Tamaki crashed into the twins, sending the three to the ground.

"Ow! Tono!"

"What was that for?"

"Ow!" Tamaki cried, sitting up. He was the one sitting on the twins, so should he really be complaining?

"Guys, I was thinking more of a group hug." I said, standing over them.

"Group hug?" The trio said, staring at me blankly. The twins were lying on their backs with Tamaki still sitting on them, well mainly Hikaru.

"Want to get out of that just somewhat awkward position first?" I asked, smiling.

Tamaki stared down at Hikaru. The twins stared at Tamaki.

"Gah!" They leapt straight to their feet.

I laughed. "Okay! Let's have a group hug now!"

"A group hug?" Honey asked, popping up by my side. "Yeah! Let's have a group hug! Yay!" Mori and Kyoya came over quietly and calmly as usual.

"Group hug!" I yelled, grabbing the twins. I pushed Haruhi into the middle, which of course brought the others over. Our arms surrounded each other, and we exchanged grins.

Hm. I hadn't felt this warm, happy feeling in a while.

It was nice. And refreshing.

* * *

><p>That evening, I lied down in bed in the dark to think before I went to sleep. Mom was coming back soon.<p>

Sighing, I rolled over to my side where Hiro was at. "Hiro, what do you think?" The question of the evening was: blushing. Wait, no, that'd be a topic. Anyway, whatever. So why did Shuji blush a lot when around me? Well, actually, it was possible that he blushed with whomever and wherever. Except Naoko-chan, probably. They seem like childhood friends. Hee hee, maybe some love will blossom? Nah, I don't think that actually happens in real life.

And I still haven't gotten a call or an email from Mickey! Did that idiot forget or something? No, wait. The topic!

Anyway, I blush around Honey too, and I think around no one else. Is there a reason to that? Honey has always stood out to me, probably be because I admire his martial arts and other fighting skills. And he looks like a kid. And he's short like me. I can totally imagine our kids being short, kick ass fighters, and no matter how old they look, they'd look like little kids!

Oh wait.

I did not just think that.

OH NO!

GAHHHHHHHHH!

I rolled around back and forth, hugging Hiro tightly to my chest. Okay! No more thinking of this. My cheeks feel like they're on fire.

No more. I'll just go to sleep.

And, you know, pretend I never thought that. Yup. I'm totally innocent.

Wait, does that mean…

NO WAY! I won't believe it! It can't possibly happen! I haven't known him for that long either!

No. I'll go in denial.

I'll be Mamori from Eyeshield 21. Uh-huh.

…

…

I'll just go to sleep now.

I sighed. "Good night Hiro."

* * *

><p>And so of course I didn't get that much sleep that night. But for the rest of the week, I would continue hosting. I got my own table, sat at a couch, and chatted with girls. Shuji showed up, always being dragged by Naoko. He'd blush and stammer all over the place, but would eventually leave with Naoko.<p>

Chiyo was as energetic as usual. Every morning she'd attack me with a hug. Honey would then free me from her death grip. Chiyo would also come to the Host Club every day, but she'd rotate around the Hosts. And then later on come back to tell me her findings.

For example, on Wednesday, she went to sit at Tamaki's table. She came back half an hour later, face red and eyes shining. "He says the cheesiest thing but it sounds so sweet and genuine coming from him! He's a perfect host!" She gave me a thumbs up, slapped my back a few times, then left the Host Club.

Guys began to show up too. They came on Wednesday, looking nervous and unsure. They sat down at my place, blushing and looking at anything else but me. I just smiled at their shyness. It was quite cute actually. Eventually we would get a conversation started. We'd end up talking about the latest shows on TV, books (occasionally), school, and girls. One guy was obviously an otaku, and I really wished I could talk to him about manga. But sadly, I had to restrain myself from doing so. What a shame.

And then, on Thursday, before hosting had started, the twins said, "Hey, Rika-senpai, what are you afraid of?"

"Afraid of?" I smirked. "Of course the great Hayashi Rika isn't afraid of anything."

The twins exchanged evil grins. "Are you sure?" Then Kaoru held up something in his hands. A black, squirming, small thing.

...

Shit.

...

Then Kaoru dropped that thing he was holding. It fell to the ground. Its many legs battled the air for a while before it flipped over and began scurrying towards me.

"GYAHH!" I screamed and ran away from that thing towards the most secure place. "Mori! Help meeeeeee!"

I climbed up his back and was sitting on his shoulders in seconds. Phew.

"Aw, come on, Rika-senpai!" The twins said. They were each carrying a transparent container, and inside, I could clearly see the many things wiggling around. There were different kinds too. The small yellow ones, the big ones that I often found in my room, the black ones, and then there were those tiny jumpy ones.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" I yelled, pointing at them. I glared, turning on the intensity. "If you do, dearest twins. I hope you understand what misfortune may befall you." I smiled, while maintaining the dark aura around me.

"Oh really?" Hikaru reached for the cap.

"OOTORI KYOYA!" I screamed.

Hikaru began to unscrew the cap.

"Yes?" He came out of the storage room.

Hikaru tossed the cap to the ground.

"DAMN YOU!" I wrapped my hands around Mori's head.

Hikaru lowered the container to the ground.

"What?" Kyoya asked.

Then those creepy-crawlies were everywhere.

Crap!

Shit!

Fuck!

"GAHHH! Mori don't let them get near!" I cried, clinging to him tightly. He nodded, as those stupid, ugly spiders crawled over Mori's shoes, over the furniture, and all over the place.

"What's going on?" Haruhi asked, coming out of the back room. "Why are there spiders everywhere?" She looked up and saw the container in Hikaru's hands. She sighed.

"Spiders?" Tamaki came up next to Haruhi. "Eek! Spiders! Help, Haruhi!" He grabbed onto the girl.

"So what do I have to do with this?" Kyoya asked, crossing his arms calmly as if an eight-legged creature wasn't on his shoe. He flicked his foot calmly.

"What are you guys doing?" Honey's voice suddenly resounded through the room. He glanced at me. I had no idea what expression I had, but I absolutely hate spiders. They are the worst things ever! I can deal with a cold-blooded murderer, a speeding, armored truck, or any amount of centipedes (though I'm not particularly fond of those either) but I can not stand spiders.

"Hikaru. Kaoru." Honey said, a shadow casting over his face. "What are you guys doing?" He then began grabbing up the spiders.

"Help catch them, you guys." Haruhi said, doing the same. "You should put them back where you found them."

"Aw, come on. We were just having some fun." Hikaru said with a pout. I glared at him from my perch on Mori.

"Well you've gone overboard," Haruhi replied curtly, scooping spiders up easily. How can she do that? Isn't she at all freaked by those things?

Then I noticed something on Mori's other shoulder. Something tiny and black.

"Oh my God!" I jumped straight off of Mori's shoulder, landed on the arm of a couch, and then hopped behind Honey. "Mori! One's on Mori's shoulder!"

Mori picked up the spider on his shoulder and calmly placed it in the container. The twins were gathering up the remaining loose spiders.

"I didn't know Rika-senpai would be afraid of spiders." Haruhi said.

"Yeah. Spiders. Spiders," Hikaru waved the capped container in front of Honey and my face.

"Get it away from me!" I wrapped my arms around Honey and buried my face into his neck. "I HATE spiders!"

"We'll take these back now." The twins said and walked out of the room whistling as if I had not just been traumatized.

"Ootori Kyoya," I grumbled looking up to glare at him. "HOW DARE YOU TELL THEM!?"

Kyoya smiled. Ha, ha, he wanted to play innocent. "Tell them what?"

"Only you would know I hate spiders." I mumbled. "Stupid!"

Honey turned around with a bright smile. "It's okay. They're all gone now."

"Yeah, but their presence is still there! Now I can't sit on anything! Or eat anything! Or do anything!" I hugged Honey even tighter. "I might as well go home!"

_Bling._

I blinked. Wait that was my phone. I slowly backed away from Honey, then glanced around. No spiders right? Okay, good.

I dashed into the back room, grabbed my school bag, and ran back behind Honey. Tamaki and Mori busied themselves setting up the room. Haruhi went to make some tea. Kyoya stood by with his black notebook out.

An email!

I quickly opened it.

_"From: Yasuda Mikiya_

_Subject: Hey!_

_Hey Red! How have you been? I'm back at Red High :) I'm still considering Ouran University. Akane tells me it's a stupid idea, and that I should just go to Tokyo U or something like that. I've given her, Minnie, and the 3 Musketeers your email address. :D Don't worry, I left Goofy out. He's upset about this. Yes, I did tell him. He really misses you, Red. :P Everything is chill here. There aren't any fights anymore. It's really nice. Email me back, Captain!"_

"An email, Rika-senpai?" Kaoru's breath tickled my ear.

"From who?" Hikaru asked, placing an arm on my shoulder.

"Get away from me! You have been contaminated by spiders!" I lurched away from them, crashing instead into Honey. We fell to the floor. Why did this seem to always happen?

"Ow. Sorry Honey." I rubbed my head which had collided with Honey's chest. "You okay?" Honey was lying under me, staring at something near his head. He picked it up - my cell phone. He sat up, which left me sitting on his lap.

"Um, Honey?" I fidgeted with my fingers while watching him read the email. "C-Can you give that back?"

Honey slowly looked up. Those brown eyes of his locked on to mine. All traces of the innocent, all-smiles little boy were gone. His eyes seemed darker than usual, refusing to let me look away. I gulped. Uh-oh. Why did it seem like Honey was upset?

I could see the twins inch away slowly from my peripheral vision. Thank you, leave me alone with an upset Honey.

Honey leaned closer, bumping his forehead with mine. I blushed. "Ho-Honey?" Okay. My voice did not just squeak like that. Fine, it did. But it will never squeak like that again. Hopefully.

"Fights?" He murmured quietly. "Rika, what aren't you telling us?"

Oh no. I'm busted.

Damn it Mickey!

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Some more development on the Rika side of things!<strong>

**And sorry to anyone who hates spiders (like me), ugh, it was so unpleasant writing about the spiders. But the chaos that occurred with it was quite amusing to write ^_^ And their various forms, but a fear/dislike of spiders is pretty common, right?**

**Has anyone see this emoticon before? It's so cute**

**(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻**

**Look! It's flipping a table in anger! **

**Anyway, review please!**

**And check out the poll on my profile page! :D It will definitely have an affect on the coming chapters. **

**Thanks for reading! **

****** (\_/)**  
>(='.'=)<strong>  
>(")_(") BUNNY~!<br>**


	14. Preparations for the ball

GUESS WHAT? IT'S A DOUBLE UPDATE! YAY! Let's give hugs to all! 。(⌒∇⌒。)

Thanks to all your love, I couldn't resist and decided to put up the next chapter. Besides, who likes cliffhangers?

**LuvPeaceCandy: **Yup, yup! It's coming! :D

**the pandypandas: **Hi :) Thanks for reading and reviewing.

**iiAnimeLover: **Teehee! Yeah. Oh I never said it before, but your profile pic is soo cute :DD

**DreamTrance14**: Lol, I love your reviews! Yeah, spiders suck don't they? Don't you just hate it when you find one in your room?!

**QueenOfDarkHearts: **Well, I updated! It may be a bit anti-climatic though :P

**PhoenixOtaku: **Haha, I couldn't help the shipping. It just popped in my head when considering Rika's type.

**jasminefiregreen: **Hello! Thanks for reading! Do you like bunnies? Aren't they so cute?

**Day: **Thank you! I'm really glad you like it!

THANKS YOU SO MUCH! You guys really made my day! YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME! 8D Yeah! Anyway~ Here's the chapter! It's kinda short, but hope you like it!

* * *

><p>"Hey, Rika-senpai! Rika-senpai!"<p>

"What?" I turned around in the hallway to face the ever-so-enthusiastic twins. It was only second hour, and they were already so excited.

"What are you going to wear for the ball?"

"Ball?!"

"Yeah!" The twins said, grinning and making a thumbs-up at me. "Don't you know that the Host Club is having a ball next Saturday?"

It was Friday. The day after that terrible incident.

"I don't have to go right?" I asked.

"Of course you have to!" Kaoru said.

"It's part of the contract." Hikaru said in a failed attempt of a whisper. Luckily, it seemed the nearby students were too busy chatting about the ball to hear.

I rolled my eyes. Honey and Mori were standing patiently by. We had been on our way to our next class.

"You guys can design a dress then." I said, though I had a feeling I'd regret it. I could hear them cheering and high-fiving as I turned around. "However!" I spun back with a glare while pointing at them. "Make it plain. No frills, no crazy neon and super bright colors, and no high heels. Also, the skirt has to be at least to my knees and not any shorter. Nothing too revealing either, and no hoop ring skirts or whatever those creepy things are called. Oh and no corsets or weird things like that."

"Okay, okay." The twins said, each clapping an arm on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Rika-senpai. We'll make a nice dress for you." They stared at each other, silenting communicating.

"Oh, I'm _sure_ you will." I smiled at them while letting a dark aura surround me. The twins froze and began stepping away. "Because you guys are sweet, little boys who do as told, yes?"

"Yes!" Then they left in a hurry.

I sighed. "Let's go to class, Honey." I fell into step next to the said boy. He'd been giving me that stare all morning. It was a calm and observant stare, as if he was just waiting for me to give something away.

"I already told you, Honey." I said quietly, so that only he could hear. "I'll tell you eventually what it all means."

"But your 'eventually' could mean years from now." He replied back, not looking my way.

"Well it won't be years. I can at least promise you that. Give me a few weeks, Honey. I'm not ready to tell you guys yet."

"Does that mean you don't trust us?" He glanced at me. It was that look again: watchful, calm, and thoughtful.

"No." I turned away. It felt like his gaze would drill the truth out of me. "I do trust you guys. It's just that… It's risky to tell you guys."

"Doesn't Kyoya already know though?" Honey asked as we reached the classroom.

I sighed, stepping in behind him. "Not the details at least. Besides, there's nothing I can do about that. I'd rather he not know. Like I said, give me a few weeks. A month would be nice."

"How about until summer vacation then?" He turned with a small smile. Summer vacation was just about a month from now.

"Sure. Sounds good to me." I smiled back but it was fake. Tell Honey? Tell the entire Host Club? About the gang? And everything we had done? Everything I did?

There are some things I did in middle school that I'm not proud of. Things I'm ashamed of doing. Things I wish I could take back.

"You okay, Ri-chan?" Honey asked, putting back on that lolita-shota look with his flower producing grin.

"Yeah." Another fake smile.

Last year. After this, I'd be free.

* * *

><p>"Crap!" I slammed my hands on the table I was standing by before slumping down into a nearby couch. It was after school at Music Room 3, and Haruhi was learning how to dance for the upcoming ball.<p>

"What?" Hikaru asked, turning away from watching Haruhi practice.

"Next Saturday?" I turned to Kyoya since he knew the most. "The ball is next Saturday, right? At what time?"

"It starts at seven in the evening." Kyoya replied without looking up from his laptop. "Is there a problem?"

"Well problem one is the fact that no one told me about the ball." I said, crossing my arms. "Until the twins. And second, my mom comes home that day."  
>"Woah! Your mom!" The twins turned to me.<p>

"I don't see how that could be a problem." Kyoya said. He stopped typing whatever it was on his computer and looked up at me.

"Well," I sighed. "I don't see my mom often so I'd like to be at home with her. She'll probably be gone before Monday."

"Oh such great love for your mother!" Tamaki cried out, twirling over towards us.

"I wouldn't exactly call it love, Tamaki." I replied wryly, leaning back into the couch.

"Why not, Ri-chan?" Honey plopped down next to me. He had an entire platter of some cake with him. "Want some cake?"

"Sure! What kind?" I sat up, leaning towards what looked like a chocolate cake.

"I think it's called Black Magic Cake. It has dark chocolate in it." Honey offered me a fork and a grin.

"Dark chocolate's the best!" I dug into the cake with a smile then took my bite.

Hm…

It was pretty good, though some of the chefs for Hayashi Sweets could make a better cake. It seemed to be missing something though.

"There's not a lot of dark chocolate to it." I said, ignoring the usual, noisy antics between the twins and Tamaki. "I think if it added… some coffee cream and dark chocolate bits. Yeah, it'd add a more bitter taste to it."

"Ri-chan must be a baking genius, huh?" Honey smiled. It wasn't his usual smile. He seemed more weary of me. I sighed quietly. Maybe I should just tell Honey as soon as possible so that everything would return to normal.

"No. I've just been baking since I was young. Kimiko too, but she's not very interested in baking sweets. She thinks they're fattening."

"You should bake us some more cake, Ri-chan!" Honey grinned.

I smiled. "Okay!"

"Oi, aren't you forgetting something Rika-senpai?" Kaoru asked. I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Did I forget something?

"Do you have any problems at home, Rika-chan?" Tamaki asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked genuinely worried.

"Not really," I shrugged. Honey was watching with an innocently curious expression. I sighed again. "So do I have to be at the ball?"

"Of course. You are part of the Host Club now." Kyoya replied.

"Hm…" I rested my cheek in my hand.

"It'll be fun, Ri-chan!" Honey said. I smiled at him. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to join the Host Club…

"Plus we always get a great deal of profit from events like these." Kyoya added nonchalantly.

Crap. "Okay. I'll be there."

* * *

><p>The weekend passed peacefully enough. Kimiko went out with a bunch of friends. She was still pursuing that dude. What was his name? Gah, whatever. She'd known him since high school. She was probably in his friend-zone, so I thought she should just give up.<p>

And it's not like Kimiko isn't popular. She's gotten her fair share of confessions. I don't really get why she wants that guy.

Whatever. Not my business.

I went over to Honey's house on Sunday and sparred with Chika. He was good, probably as talented as his older brother.

After that, we ate some cake at the kitchen. Chika hung around, but he didn't seem to like sweets much.

"There you are Chika!"

I turned to the doorway. Then I blinked. Huh? A younger Mori? He had Mori's black hair, short and spiky, and gray eyes.

The kid turned to me and then grinned. "Hello! I'm Morinozuka Satoshi! Nice to meet you!"

I nodded at him and smiled. "Hayashi Rika. Nice to meet you."

Satoshi looked at me then at Honey. Then he smiled, looked at me and then at Honey. "I see." He grinned and seemed to hum a tune quietly. "I see. Let's go, Chika."

"Wh-What? No wai-" Satoshi ignored Chika's protests, dragging the boy out of the room.

"Mori's younger brother?" I turned back to Honey.

"Yup."

"Wow. They look alike." Unlike Kimiko and me. We don't look like sisters at all. "Where's Mori then?"

"Kendo practice!"

We chatted like this for a while before I left. Honey had seriously put the Zoro figurine on his desk. It was cute.

And like this, another week of school began.

Monday's hosting, a crowd of boys appeared at the doors. I could hear the customers talking outside, waiting to be let in.

"Is it really okay letting boys enter the Host Club?"

"Well there's that slut Hayashi girl now, so yeah."

Slut? Really? Wow, that's stupid. Does that mean the Hosts aren't like that? But I am? So stupid. Soooooo stupid!

I was leaning against the door listening quietly. I could hear the guys' voices too.

"She is not a slut!"

"Yeah! Hayashi-dono is the cutest!"

"Prettiest!"

"And smartest girl in the school!"

"You guys are just pervs and pedos."

"Yeah, you only like her cause she looks like a kid."

"Well what about you girls who like Honey-senpai?" A guy again. I was starting to worry that a riot might break out. That'd be troublesome.

"Yeah! Honey looks as much like a kid as Hayashi-dono does!

Do I have a fan club? Hehe, that'd be cool. Except it might be troublesome too. Nah, impossible. That's way too manga-like to be true.

"What are you doing, Rika-senpai?" Haruhi asked, passing by with a tray of cookies and tea.

"Shh," I put a finger to my lip and smiled at her. Then I pointed at the door.

"She has no right to join the Host Club!"

"Yeah, she's probably trying to get our handsome Hosts."

"What a bitch."

…

That's some dirty language.

Well, I swear too, but I thought ladies of elite families would have cleaner mouths. I turned to Haruhi and saw her eyes had widened.

"Maybe we should hurry up and open the doors." She whispered.

I nodded, following after her. My position was to the left side. Time for hosting again!

"Welcome ladies! And gentlemen!"

I wonder if Kyoya's regretting having me join the Host Club…

* * *

><p>The boys I'd heard did come and sit with me. Only Chiyo was here today, since the others had some things to do.<p>

"Hayashi-dono!" There were three boys, all looking excited and eager. "It's an honor to meet you! I'm Okumura Atsuo, president of the Hayashi Rika Fan Club!" He had short cropped light brown hair, dark gray eyes, and seemed really tall. He bowed deeply and grinned.

What? OMG, can I predict the future now?

I smiled. "It's nice to meet you. I'm glad I get to meet you guys."

Okumura Atsuo's eyes shone, and he nodded vigorously before sitting down. "This is great!"

"Hayashi-dono, I'm Nozaki Ikuma! Vice president!" The next guy had slightly longer black hair, reaching towards his shoulders nearly. Curly strands hung over his forehead. He also had glasses that glistened quite similarly like Kyoya's and was tanner than the others. He bowed then took a seat next to the president.

"And I'm Asahara Genta! The treasurer." This boy looked younger than the previous two. He grinned. He had bright blond hair and pale green eyes.

"There's a Hayashi Rika Fan Club?" Chiyo asked, sitting next to me with her legs crossed. She smiled pleasantly. She was the only girl here now.

"Yup!" The three boys chorused.

"How come I don't know about it then?" She pouted. "After all, I'm Rika-senpai's greatest fan!" Then she hugged me.

The three boys gasped. Then the second guy, Nozaki Ikuma, bowed at Chiyo. "Please join our club then!"

"I'd love to!" Chiyo grinned. "Don't you think Rika-senpai is just soooo cute?!" She rubbed her cheek against mine, very much like the twins.

"She is!" Asahara Genta said, clasping his hands together.

"Cuter than the pictures!" Atsuo shouted.

"Definitely!" Ikuma agreed.

"Pictures?" I said. The three boys glanced at me and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, the Hitachiin twins were selling them." Atsuo said, showing me a collection of photos. I took them, glancing through them quickly.

They were pictures of me! Pictures of me in class reading, sleeping, and staring up front. What?! Where did these pictures come from?! It wasn't just that. There was even a picture of me dressed up in that maid uniform smiling.

"Wh-What? Since when? Where?" I glanced around and found the twins, who were sitting with their guests and talking cheerily.

Those twins! I haven't even gotten my revenge on them yet for that spider thing! Hmph. I'll just add this to the list of crimes they have committed. Though I don't doubt that Kyoya had a role in this too.

"Aw, Hayashi-dono really is adorable!" Atsuo squealed.

"That flustered face!" Ikuma said.

"It's priceless!" Genta shouted. They looked like they were in heaven. Or on drugs.

"Ta-Take them back," I thrust the pictures at Atsuo who still had that blissful look on his face. "Chiyo, did you know of this?"

"Hm?" Chiyo had the same dazed-out, delighted look. "Of course, Rika-senpai. I bought every picture available. I'm going to put them in my scrap book, Rika-senpai. Would you like to see it when I'm done?"

"Uh. No thanks."

What is this? Have I somehow fallen into the realm of manga and anime? Nah. Impossible. I'll let this thing slide. For now.

I asked the boys about their club and other things. It turned out Ikuma also played soccer for the school, and Genta loved anime. That was cool.

I sighed once the room was quiet again. This was going to be a long week. And it was. The ball required preparations. Kyoya dumped a load of the work on me. I had to go through orders for food, diningware, outfits, and music. Of course we needed a live orchestra. The Host Club just couldn't settle with a CD.

And then it was Friday. We had the day off from hosting since the ball was on Saturday. Plus all the Host Club guests were busy picking out their dresses. They'd probably spend a million yen on one dress and then never wear it again.

As for me…

"Check out the dress, Rika-senpai!" The twins said, tossing me a plastic package. I caught it and pulled out the outfit within.

A simple white top, with slightly puffed out sleeves and a simple enough design. The attached black skirt had green vines and red roses crawling over it from the front left side to the back. It didn't seem too short either.

"_Nice_, twins." I grinned at them. "You finally did something good."

"So mean." The twins said, pouting and hugging me.

"Thanks!" I hugged them back. "It's nice."

* * *

><p>Then Friday evening when I was in my room reading, I started hearing noises.<p>

I poked my head out of my room. "Azumi?"

She was by my side in less than a minute. "Yes, Rika-sama?"

"What's with all the noise?" I could hear some clanging in the kitchen, and there were servants everywhere. Mops, rags, and buckets filled with water covered the first floor. Another maid was further down the hallway with a vacuum.

"It'd be best if you stayed in your room this evening, Rika-sama." Azumi replied with a strained smile. "We must prepare for your mother's arrival."

"Oh." I opened the door fully. "When is she coming back?"

"Tomorrow. Her plane will land at eight. She should be home by nine in the morning. You will be there to greet her, won't you?"

Why did it have to be so damn early in the morning?! Why couldn't she come home at eight in the evening?

I sighed. "Hopefully. But, um, are you guys going to clean all night?"

"Yes." Azumi nodded with another smile. She seemed really stressed out. Even if I wasn't particularly fond of her (since she was my mom's spy) I really felt like she could use a break.

"Would it help if I wasn't around?" I asked carefully.

"What do you mean, Rika-sama?" Azumi replied.

"Like, what if I stayed over at a friend's house for today?"

Azumi turned to look at the water-coated marble floors. Maids were mopping furiously. Some were on their knees cleaning. Poor people…

Finally, she sighed. "Perhaps it would help. But you haven't even had dinner yet. And who would you go to?"

"Honey." I said immediately.

She stared at me, holding my gaze. I smiled. "That will be alright, right Azumi? Their house is big. I'm sure they'd have a spare room for me to spend the night."

"Wouldn't you be inconveniencing others then?"

"That's true. But," I watched as the head maid came over, directing some to go downstairs. A butler joined the head maid, and they began talking. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep through all of this, Azumi."

"When will you return tomorrow then?" Azumi asked, following me into my room. Yes! That meant she agreed!

"When I wake up?" I offered, reaching for my duffel bag.

"But that could be eleven or twelve, Rika-sama!" Azumi said, exasperated. "You wouldn't let your mother wait that long, would you?"

"Okay. Ten-thirty?" I opened my closet.

"Kimiko-sama will be returning at ten in the morning, Rika-sama." Azumi said.

"What? Onee-san's going some where else too?"

"Yes. She's going to stay over at a friend's house too. A female friend though. And she promised to be here by ten."

"Okay then." I smiled at Azumi. "I'll be here at ten."

"Please be careful then. And try not to inconvenience others." Azumi bowed at me.

"Yes. Thank you, Azumi." I smiled softly and nodded at her. Then she left the room. It seemed that I was going to have my second impromptu sleepover with Honey.

* * *

><p><strong>Yup. Sorry if it was a bit disappointing. The truth has been put off! But there's a deadline!<strong>

**Just a question though, since I'm unsure of how to do it, when Rika does come out with the truth, should it be in a form of a detailed flashback? Or just a few snippets of middle school and Rika's narration? Basically, a long detailed story or a shorter but still more details one? It's a terrible debate here.**

**And Honey is winning the poll! No surprise there, I guess. After that is Goofy. Heehee, okay! Well the next chapter will be having a lot more of Honey! ^_^ Check out the poll on my profile page to vote!**

**Oh and is anyone curious as to how Rika looks? I can't draw so... Well there's one character from a manga I'm reading that looks a lot like how I imagined Rika to be. It's a pretty recent one, so most people probably haven't heard of it. Anyone, I'll put a few links on my profile page to pictures. **

**Review please! And thank you very much for reading!**


	15. Sleepover Part 2!

Hello! :D Thanks for all the follows and faves once again!

And of course, I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you guys SOOO much! :D You made my day(s)!

**PhoenixOtaku: **Okay, thanks for your opinion! I'll make it long and detailed then :) Well, I guess

**LuvPeaceCandy: **Yeah! That'd be so cool if you could draw a picture! Please do! And if you upload it somewhere, like Deviantart, send me the link and I'll put it up! :DD Hehe and if you could, tell your friend I said hi and thanks for reading! And thank YOU for telling your friend. And for being here! Woo~!

**DreamTrance14:** Lol, yeah. Sleepover time! ^_^

**the pandypandas:** Thank you!

**iiAnimeLover:** Aw, do you like the Rika Fan Club? They're pretty cute.

**QueenOfDarkHearts: **Lol I can't believe you reread it completely. It's pretty long too. Here's the next chapter!

**Day:** Yeah, lol fan clubs are the best! :P Thanks for reviewing!

**Remember that there are weekly updates on _Monday_**! They probably get on at about 4 pm EST in US. So... I think that's like -5 GMT. I think...

Whatever! Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

* * *

><p>I was let into the Haninozuka home quickly and led to the dining room where, lo and behold, Honey was eating cake.<p>

"Have you even eaten dinner yet, Honey?" I asked, watching him finish up the cake in front of him.

"Nope!" He shook his head with a grin. "But it's okay. I'll still be able to eat dinner."

"Okay then…" I'd just have to trust his own judgement. "So, Honey. Would it be okay if I stayed the night?"

He stopped eating, turning to me with a curious look. "Sure but why?"

"My mom's coming home tomorrow." I sat down next to him. "So the house is in chaos trying to clean up and prepare. She's not even going to be here for that long. I don't get why they make such a fuss. Every time I see my mom, I have to dress up nicely too." I sighed.

"And?" Honey said, finishing up the cake. A maid whisked the dish and fork away quickly. They must be used to his cake eating too.

"It's really noisy at the house now. Even Kimiko's gone," I said.

He nodded and smiled. "You're always welcome to stay here, Ri-chan! We have spare rooms."

"Thanks, Honey." I smiled.

"Oh! It's Hayashi-san again!"

Hm? I turned in my seat and found Satoshi dragging a grumpy looking Yasuchika in. He grinned and waved. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I'm staying over today!" I replied with a grin. "We should have a sleepover! Oh and you don't have to call me Hayashi-san. Just Rika will be fine."

"How about Rika-nee?" Satoshi suggested.

"Sure!" I grinned. No one's called me that since Yuuta.

"Sleepover?" Chika asked looking bored.

I stared at Chika then at Satoshi, who just shrugged. I glanced at Honey, who was watching bemusedly. "You guys don't know what a _sleepover_ is?"

"A commoners' thing?" Chika guessed, crossing his arms.

"Apparently, since you guys don't know a thing about it." I replied. "Allow me, then, to educate you rich and over-fortunate souls! A sleepover occurs between friends. A friend or group of friends go to another friends' home. They then spend time together watching movies, eating junk food, and playing games! And then they all sleep together in one room in sleeping bags. They stay up late talking and laughing. It's SUPER fun!"

"Sounds lame," Chika said.

I turned to him with a sharp gaze, but not quite a glare. Then I smiled. "Oh really? Want to give it a try? I'm sure it'd be really fun with the Host Club."

Oh wait. Who was I to say this? This wasn't my house to begin with. I couldn't just invite the Host Club over to trash Honey's home.

"Never mind," I said with a sigh. "I'll teach you guys the glory of a sleepover some other time."

Plus if mom came back and the first news she heard was that I had a sleepover with a bunch of boys… she'd probably freak and send me back to some lame all-girls school.

"It sounds fun!" Honey said. He grinned. "Let's give it a try."

I stared at him, wondering what he was thinking. "But. Uh. Do you want to-"

"Yeah. We can invite the Host Club. They'd probably want to try it." Honey said. No, he didn't seem very happy at the idea some how. Why did his smile seem a bit… fake?

"Never mind, Honey. Forget it." I said.

"But don't you want to try it?" He tilted his head while staring at me with innocent, questioning eyes.

"Argh! Don't use that cute face against me! Anyway, it's your choice, Honey. I'd be happy enough if I got a room to sleep in, so I don't care. It was just a suggestion. Plus, we'll be seeing the Host Club Saturday evening, I don't really need to see any more of them." I nodded. Yeah, that was true enough. It'd probably be better for me if I saw less of them.

"Okay then. Let's just have a mini sleepover with us!" Honey suggested with a brighter grin. "You guys can join too!"

"Us?" Satoshi asked, pointing at himself.

"No thanks." Chika said, turning away pompously. "I don't want to be part of some stupid thing like that."

"CHIIIIIKA!" Satoshi roared, pulling out a wooden katana. "How dare you speak so rudely to your brother!" He smacked Chika's head harshly, knocking off his glasses.

"Ow! Satoshi!" Chika cried, clutching his head while tears formed in his eyes.

Wow. That's a different side.

"Satoshi." Mori stepped in, grabbing his younger brother's sword. "That's enough."

"Taka-nii!" Satoshi hugged his brother, while Honey went to his brother's side. I sat there watching, amused, as Honey rubbed Chika's head while saying soothing words.

"A-Anyway!" Chika said, interrupting the brotherly moment. "I don't want to be a part of it! N-Now I'm going!" Then he dashed out of the room. Satoshi chased after, waving his sword while shouting.

Mori glanced at the two of us, obviously confused.

"We're having a sleepover, Takashi!" Honey explained. "Do you want to join?"

"It's fine." Mori said, shaking his head.

"A sleepover with just two people?" I glanced at Honey and grinned.

"Will it work?" He asked.

"Sure! It'll definitely be a mini sleepover though!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

><p>Dinner turned out to be another dilemma. Mori left to eat with his family, leaving me behind with Honey's family.<p>

Honey's mom wasn't around. It was just his dad and Chika. Erm…

It was alright. I tried to stay quiet and out of the way, answering any questions directed at me. I smiled and ate the "proper" way I was taught, like no elbows and what not.

After dinner, we began by watching the Hobbit. Mori and Satoshi came to join us, which meant Chika ended up watching too. Honey had a mini theater. It was a large room, like about the size of a two-car garage. There was an entire screen that stretched across one wall. It was amazing! I'd never had a theater like it. Mom and Dad weren't very fond of movies, so there wasn't one in the main house.

We ate cake after, much to Chika's disgust. Then we went and watched Zoolander. I'd seen the movie before, but the others hadn't. It seemed only Mori and Chika weren't very fond of laughing out loud. Satoshi, Honey, and I burst out laughing. Then I suggested we play a game. We moved to Honey's room.

We started off with board games. We played Monopoly, which, as usual, ended with a few disgruntled players and a few grinning ones. Mori was very lucky, and he was the richest one by the end of the game. Honey and Chika, on the other hand, kept landing on other people's places. Satoshi and I were just about in the middle, though I was getting close to the Haninozuka level. It was fun, but I guess Chika wouldn't agree.

"Okay, let's play a different kind of game." I said, after all the paper money was cleaned up.

"What kind of game?" Satoshi asked, eyes shining with excitement.

"Truth or dare?" I asked. "Or we could play Never Have I Ever, or Would You Rather. There's a lot of options."

"Huh?" Satoshi blinked.

I glanced at the other vacant and unsure faces. "Let's just play Would You Rather. It's really simple. You basically give two options and everyone has to pick one. For example, would you rather walk on hot coals for five minutes or sit in a box filled with poisonous snakes for fifteen minutes?"

"Hot coals," Chika said. "Duh."

"Same." Satoshi said. Mori nodded.

Honey nodded too. "Yeah."

I sighed. "That meant it was a bad one, cause I agree. Someone else try."

"Spiders," Mori said. "Or cockroaches."

I shuddered. "Cockroaches."

"Spiders!" Satoshi said with a grin. What? Isn't the choice obvious?

Chika frowned, looking distraught. "Uh. Um. Cockroaches then."

"Chika-chan hates spiders too!" Honey said with a grin, receiving a glare from Chika. "I wouldn't care. Cockroaches probably."

"What about you Mori?" I asked.

"Spiders." He said, in the usual monotonous way.

"Okay, your turn Chika." I said, directing everyone's attention to the boy. He frowned and fidgeted in his seat, trying to think of one.

Chika stared up for a moment. "Um, okay, how about, would you rather, uh, be able to fly or be able to pause time?" Ooh, now that's a pretty good one. Superpowers are quite popular.

"Fly!" Satoshi said. Mori nodded.

"I'd rather be able to pause time," Chika said.

"Fly." Honey grinned. "It'd be awesome!"

I shrugged. Both would be nice. If I could pause time, then I could run over to a nearby bookstore, read a ton of manga, run back to the house, unpause time, and act as if nothing had happened. "Pause time," I said.

"Ooh! I have one!" Satoshi started bouncing. "But, uh, can I just ask you, Rika-nee?"

I stared at him suspiciously. "Uh, no…? That's not very fair."

He looked crestfallen. "Aw. Fine then." Then he smiled. "Would you rather go on a date with Taka-nii or go on a date with Mitsukuni-nii?"

What kind of question is _that_?

Satoshi grinned. "It's okay. You pick first, Chika."

"What?!" Chika blushed. "Wh-Why would I- no way! I wouldn't want to go on a date with _either_ of them!"

"What? You have to pick! I'd go with Taka-nii of course. No offense, Mitsukuni-nii." Satoshi said, glancing quickly at Honey who just smiled and shook his head.

"Fine. Taka-nii then." Chika turned away.

I glanced at Honey and saw, for just a second, pain in his brown eyes. He turned to me and gave me a flowery grin. I smiled at him. Chika didn't hate Honey. I hoped Honey understood that.

"But Mori and Honey don't really have a choice," I said. Mori and Honey nodded. Satoshi grinned.

"Then I'll modify it! Taka-nii, would you rather eat cake or babysit a kid?" Satoshi asked. What kind of modification is that?

"Babysit," Mori replied.

Really? That's surprising. Cake would be much easier, but I guess kids would be fun. Satoshi nodded smugly, as if expecting that answer. "Okay. Mitsukuni-nii's turn. Would you rather be able to eat whatever cake whenever and wherever you want to-" Didn't he already have that privilege? He could even eat in the library… "-or go on a date with Rika-nee?"

Honey froze. I glanced at him. Wasn't the answer obvious? So why did it look like Honey was having a great debate in his head? But… it was a bit sad that I couldn't compete with cake though. So what was more valuable to Honey than cake?

Honey looked down, frowning. Then he turned away from me, but the reddening of his ears didn't escape my notice. "The d-date."

Woah! Woah! Is this a great moment in history? This was the very first time I heard Honey stutter.

"Your turn, Rika-nee!" Satoshi said, grinning brightly. Chika looked concerned.

"Honey, of course." I turned away too. "It'd be really fun."

"Then you guys should go on a date!" Satoshi started bouncing on the floor. I glanced at Honey, catching his gaze. I blushed and saw that he did too.

"Mitsukuni," Mori said, attracting everyone's attention immediately. "No."

Honey frowned but didn't say anything. The atmosphere turned unexpectedly tense. I glanced around. Honey and Mori were staring at each other. If this were manga, there would probably be sparks flying right now.

"There would be negative impacts, Mitsukuni. " Mori said. He closed his eyes, sighed, and then opened them again. I glanced at the clock. It was already eleven. "Can you imagine how Tamaki would react? Kyoya wouldn't be very happy either. Besides, you don't even know Rika-san that well."

Woah! Woah! A second great moment in history! This was the first time Mori said so many sentences, at least in front of me.

"Takashi," Honey said. "Are you tired?"

Mori nodded.

"That would explain it," Chika muttered. "I'm going to sleep too. Come on, Satoshi."

Honey caught my confused gaze, smiled, and said, "Takashi gets really chatty when he's tired."

Satoshi glanced at his cousin then his brother. "Eh? Oh okay. Come on, Taka-nii. Let's go home. You need to go to sleep."

Mori nodded, stood up, and nodded at Honey and me. "Good night, Mitsukuni. Good night, Rika-san." Then he smiled.

Woah!

This was one crazy night.

The three left.

"Mini sleepover time!" Honey said throwing his hands in the air.

"Yeah! So do you have a sleeping bag, Honey?" I turned to face him.

"What's that?"

"It's kind of like a futon, except the blanket is part of it and you can unzip it. And, well, basically it's like a futon." It's hard to describe a sleeping bag, okay?

"Let's just use futons then. So we sleep on the ground, huh?" He asked, heading to the closet. I got up and helped him pull out the futons.

"Yup!" After setting up the futons near the bed, Honey entered his closet to change clothes. "Hey, Honey, can I use your bathroom?"

"Go ahead!" He called from within. I grabbed my bag. Honey's bathroom was big, as expected, with golden faucets, black marble countertops, and a huge tub. Well, it didn't seem much fancier than the bathrooms in the main house. I pulled out my toothbrush.

* * *

><p>I'd brought Hiro and hugged him to my chest, as Honey turned the lights off. I was tired. And I really did not look forward to the next day. Sure, I could handle the Host Club, but my mom could easily do unpredictable things that screwed over my life. I really didn't want that to happen.<p>

"Hey, Rika." Honey said in a quiet voice lying next to me.

"Yeah?" I rolled over to face him, though it was hard to make out his face in the darkness. I liked it when he used my full name though, instead of anything like Ri-chan. Maybe I should tell him that…

"How do you know about sleepovers?"

"Mhm," I mumbled, closing my heavy eyes. "I used to go to my friend's house all the time for sleepovers. Even on school days."

"Which friend? The one from that school abroad?"

"Mmm."

"Sprucewell, right?"

"Yeah." My voice was just a whisper now. "I'd go to her little apartment after school and we'd do our homework together. And then we'd watch TV and eat junk food. And sometimes she'd cook for the two of us. She was a good cook. And then we'd go to sleep later. And if it wasn't a school night, we'd stay up talking. And talking. And talking. And it was...really fun."

"What's her name?"

"Anna," I said. I could feel the lump returning. I turned onto my back and swallowed. "Anna Barton."

"Do you miss them?"

"Of course."

"I want to meet them, Rika."

"Hm?" I rolled back to face him. Honey was facing me, watching carefully. He smiled softly.

"They're your good friends, aren't they, Rika? I'd like to meet them."

"They're a lot like the Host Club actually." I smiled fondly. "You'd probably like them."

"Who's that Goofy boy then? That's not his real name, is it?"

"No." I giggled. "No. It's just a nickname. Cause he used to be such a goofball. He's really good with his hands. He can build lots of cool things."

"That's cool."

"Yeah."

We were quiet for a while, then an idea popped up in my head. "Hey, Honey."

"Yeah?"

"About that Would You rather thing, were you serious?"

"About what?" He asked, scooting closer.

"Um, well." I swallowed and licked my lips. This was a crazy idea. "Would you like to go on a date?" I said in a nervous whisper.

I saw the smile spread. It was different from his usual flower-producing grin that he showed all the girls at school. This was a sweet, delightful smile. "I would love to. When?"

"How about next week? On a Saturday or Sunday," I replied. I was glad it was dark, and he couldn't see my face. It was probably bright red.

"Okay! Where?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Any suggestions?"

"How about an amusement park?"

"Okay." I grinned. That'd be fun. Plus I haven't been to an amusement park in a really long time. "Saturday then? How about at eleven in the morning then?"

"Yeah. Good night, Rika." Honey said. Then he extended his hand out.

"Good night, Honey." I wrapped one arm around Hiro, slipped my other hand into Honey's, and closed my eyes. Tomorrow would be trouble.

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Azumi knocked on Haninozuka Mitsukuni's bedroom door. She worried about what she would find inside. Why was her young mistress sleeping with the Haninozuka boy? Although she knew the ties between the Hayashi and Haninozuka families, it still troubled her that she was in such a situation.

Last night had been extremely busy. Every nook and cranny had to be dusted, cleaned, and polished. Everything had to be exactly where it belonged. The wooden floors had to glow, and the tiled floors had to shine. Every window had to be clean enough to see one's own reflection. Every rug beaten until there was nothing left. And not a single hair could be found anywhere throughout the huge mansion.

Azumi sighed quietly, rubbing her temples. It was always trouble when the Hayashi matriarch returned.

When there was still no response, Azumi knocked again, this time louder. "Rika-sama? Time to get up. Your mother will be home soon."

Inside the room, Rika blinked at the sunlight streaming in from the windows facing her. She pushed herself up with her free hand, since her right hand was linked to Honey's. Even though Honey was still asleep, breathing softly, his hand held Rika's tightly.

"I'm up, Azumi." Rika said just loud enough for the maid outside to hear.

"May I come in?" Azumi asked.

"Hang on." Rika started shaking Honey. His grip was too strong for her to just break apart from. "Honey, wake up. I have to go."

"Mm." He mumbled, turning into his pillow.

"Mitsukuni," She said gently. "Time to let go of my hand please."

Honey forced the sleepy darkness away. Rika was calling for him, so he had to wake up now. "Ugh." He sat up, rubbing his eyes. He hated having to wake up.

"Rise and shine, Mitsukuni. Good morning!" Rika smiled brightly.

Her genuine smile was enough to melt away the darkness. He smiled back. "Good morning, Rika. Why are you calling me Mitsukuni all the sudden?"

"Isn't it the magic word to get you to wake up?" Rika asked.

"It can be the magic word for everything," Honey smiled mischievously.

"What does that mean?" She stood, stretching, and then grabbed her bag.

"You should call me Mitsukuni from now on." He replied, lying back down.

"Sure, sure." Rika opened the door. Azumi was standing there with a tired smile. She had barely gotten any sleep last night.

"Did you bring a change of clothes, Rika-sama?" Azumi asked.

Rika nodded. "Good morning. And yes I did. I'll go change right now."

"Good. Then I'll wait at the front door for you, Rika-sama. Take your time, but please be at the door by nine-fifty."

"Yes. Thanks, Azumi." Rika stepped back into the room, as Azumi left. The maid had wanted to give Rika some more time with Honey. It had seemed like something important had been happening between the two.

"So what were you saying, Honey?" Rika asked, entering the bathroom.

"You should keep calling me by my first name." Honey said, still lying on the futon. He glanced over at Rika's futon and saw Hiro lying there. He smiled.

"Mitsukuni." Rika said, trying out the name. She'd already used it a few times. "But it's sooo long, Honey. Can I give you a nickname instead?"

"Sure!"

"Hm, how about Kuni-chan?"

Honey grimaced. "Uh, no. Thanks."

"Kuni-kun then?"

"Why Kuni?"

"Well Yasuchika becomes Chika. So Mitsukuni becomes Kuni. Why is your name so difficult? Okay, how about Mi-kun then?"

"Uh…"

"Never mind then. Your name is just too difficult."

A few moments later, teeth brushed, hair brushed, and face washed, Rika stepped out of the bathroom. She was wearing the red dress the twins had picked out for her at the mall. The one that had given her the chance to buy the clothes she wanted to.

It was a simple red dress. It was short-sleeved with a v-neck, came to the tops of her knees, and clung to her waist.

Honey stood up, eyes widened.

Rika's hair was down. Her red bow was tied around her wrist instead. Her black hair fell on her shoulders in a strangely elegant way.

She was beautiful.

"Why are you, uh, staring so much, Honey?" Rika asked, pulling at the dress. It seemed a bit too short for her tastes. She'd rather it be a bit longer just in case.

"You look beautiful, Rika." Honey grinned.

She blushed and turned away. "Th-Thanks, Mitsu-" Gah! For some reason, at this one moment, she just couldn't seem to say his name. "Mitsukuni!"

Honey chuckled. "You should put your hair down more, Rika."

She stared at him and smiled. "Okay." Then she scooped Hiro up and promptly tied her red bow around his neck.

"I'll be coming back, Mitsukuni." Rika said. "Um, if that's okay. I have to get my stuff. If, um, I can leave it here? Just my bag, that's all. And I'll get it. Probably later, like maybe even tomorrow. Mom wouldn't like to know that I stayed over here. Though I'm not sure if she already knows. Um, look, yeah. I'll just, uh. Here!" She thrust Hiro at Honey. "Please take care of Hiro for today!"

"Huh? What about your bow?" Honey asked.

"Mom doesn't like it. So, I'll be leaving it in your care." She smiled, though it looked pained. "Please take care of it."

Honey knew that the bow was important to Rika. He smiled. She must really trust him to leave the bow in his care.

"I'll take care of him and your bow. Thanks, Rika."

"Thank you. Mitsukuni." Rika looked relieved. She smiled. "I'll be going then."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight." Honey nodded and smiled back.

"See you!" Rika grabbed a pair of black flats and ran to the front. It was time to face her mother once again.

* * *

><p><strong>This feels like such a short chapter... There was a lot of dialogue in it.<strong>

**Poll update! Honey now has 11 votes. Wow :O I'm surprised. That's a lot... Dang. And then Goofy is second. Lol it feels more like a popularity vote at this point ^_^**

**So what do you guys think of Azumi? Like, did reading a bit of her thoughts change your view of her?  
><strong>

**Oh, and I'm looking for a _Beta reader! _Yes! You read that correctly! Anybody out there who wants to edit this story? Although it is a bit late, seeing as there's so many chapters up already, and I write ahead in case I get swamped by homework at any given week... But, anyone out there, if you have a good understanding of English grammar and vocabulary, have read and/or watched Ouran, and has experience in writing or beta reading romance and fanfic, please PM me!**

**Thanks for reading ya'll! I'll see you guys next week! :D**

**Oh and any questions? I'd gladly do a Q & A with any characters!**


	16. The Ouran High School Host Club's ball!

**Yay! Fifty reviews! You guys rock! ヽ(´∇` )ﾉ **

**PhoenixOtaku:** Would you rather was just easier actually, lol, thanks for reviewing!

**LuvPeaceCandy:** Just a warning about beta-ing, you'll be told everything about the plot - spoilers! So are you sure? Yay! I'm excited for the picture! :D And some of your questions may get unsatisfactory answers since they're a part of the plot. ^_^ But the Q & A is at the end. And thanks for reviewing!

**DreamTrance14: **Thanks for reviewing! :) The date will take a while to come though...

**the pandypandas**: Thank you for reviewing every time! :)

**Day:** Thank you! :D

**iiAnimeLover:** Love the nickname! 8D I'm going to use it, okay? Thanks for the idea and feedback!

**Thanks everyone! Hope you like this chapter!**

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><p>I arrived at the ball an hour early, per Kyoya's requests. There were many workers everywhere, carrying in decorations. The theme for the ball this time was commoners' formal. It was most likely Tamaki's idea...<p>

"There you are, Rika." Kyoya said, standing in the midst of all the chaos. Tables were being set up at the sides for the food. Chairs and benches were to line the walls of the vast ballroom, for those who didn't want to dance anymore. The orchestra was bringing in their instruments and setting up in the corner.

"What do I need to do?" I asked. I was still wearing the red dress from the morning.

"Here." Kyoya handed me a clipboard. "Go check on the silverware over there, and once you're done with that, go to the orchestra. Make sure they're set up in the correct position. Direct where the benches should be set. After that, come find me."

"Yes sir," I said with a teasing smile, before heading in the direction he'd indicated. The clipboard had a diagram of where everything should be placed and the quantity of everything.

I followed Kyoya's instructions. I directed the placement of everything, then dealt with the caterer and food. Since it was commoners' formal, the food was from multiple "commoners" places recommended by Haruhi.

"Instant coffee!" Tamaki yelled, waving the box above his head. "Help me, Rika-chan! Let's set up a place to make your own instant coffee!"

"Okay…"

A grand piano was wheeled in, since Tamaki was going to play it. The Hosts took turns helping out and going in to change. They were all going to wear simple but formal clothes. The twins had sweater vests over a white collared shirt, gray pants, and dress shoes. Tamaki and Kyoya both wore a suit and tie.

Honey had something similar with a tailcoat and a bow tie instead. Mori and Haruhi wore white collared shirts with a tie.

"Rika-senpai!" The twins yelled. There was about fifteen minutes before the doors opened, and I was running around making sure everything was in the right place.

"Start playing after we open the doors and make the introductions." I said to the orchestra's conductor. She nodded. "And, just light quiet music before we actually start the dance. Kyoya told you that, right?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"Okay, good the-"

"Rika-senpai!" The twins grabbed my arms.

"Wh-What? Geez, can't you tell I'm busy?" I scowled, trying to get out of their hold. They smiled. I rolled my eyes. What was it now?  
>"You haven't changed yet." They said. "And we still have to do your hair and makeup."<p>

"Go ahead, dear." The conductor said, looking amused.

"Wh- Wait, no!" I wailed, as the twins dragged me into the side room. They tossed me into the curtain dressing room along with the plastic package.

"Do you guys even know the definition of commoners' formal?" I asked, as I started changing. "Besides, what I was wearing before would have been fine, right? Wait, no, back to the topic. Is commoners' formal even a theme?"

"Just hurry up!" The twins replied.

I frowned, pulling on the dress the twins' had customarily made for me. Did it mean I could keep it? That'd be nice. The skirt was made of very soft, velvety material. The top was made of cotton.

"Okay." I said, drawing the curtain away. My hair had been down all day, and it was very weird. No, it was terrible to be away from my bow. I felt more insecure, but luckily the day's events had kept me from thinking about it.

"Sit down." They pushed me into the seat. Hikaru began working with my hair while Kaoru started on makeup.

"Not too much please. It's such a pain to wash it off." I said.

"Okay. Close your eyes." Kaoru said, taking my chin. Hikaru combed my hair then began twisting it around.

"Where's your bow, Rika-senpai?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah, it's weird to see you without it."

"I agree." I said quietly. "It's at Honey's house right now."

"Oooh," The twins said. When I opened my eyes, they were grinning.

"I get it, Rika-senpai." Hikaru said, patting my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. "Get what? How stupid you two can be?"

"Rika-senpai has a crush~" Kaoru said.

"Rika-senpai and Honey-senpai," Hikaru sang.

"Sitting in a tree," Kaoru continued.

"K-I-S-S!" The twins yelled.

"Sh-Shut up!" I squealed, smacking the two's heads. "Are you done now?"

"Yup!" They grinned.

"Really now." I pouted, opening the door. "You shouldn't tease your senpai like that." Then I stuck out my tongue.

I slammed the door behind me, then began making my way towards Kyoya. He was going through last minute checks it seemed.

"Rika," A quiet voice said behind me. His breath tickled my ear, and I felt my hair being lifted up.

When I turned around, I saw a grinning Honey. "Gosh, Honey, don't scare me like that." I said, letting out a breath.

"What do you think of your hair now, Rika?" He asked.

Hm? I turned. Hikaru had braided my hair into one plait. And now… there was a very familiar red bow at the end of it.

I grinned. "It's great! It's perfect now! Thanks. Mitsukuni." I hugged the boy in front of me. Even though it'd meant he had touched my bow (I guess I really didn't mind) it was great to have my bow back.

He giggled. "I thought you'd want it back."

"And you were right." I pulled back. "You still need a nickname. Mitsukuni is just way too long."

"Keep thinking about it then," Honey said with a smile.

"Positions, everyone!" Kyoya called out.

Oh dear. Mom… I took a deep breath and glanced at Honey as we headed towards the doors together. He caught my gaze and smiled knowingly. "It'll be fine, Rika. Don't worry about it too much."

I smiled back. "Thanks, Mitsukuni." Then I went to take my place.

"Welcome!"

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><p>Sweet, slow music began to flow, and the Hosts separated to dance with their guests. Guests mingled with each other, drinking punch or instant coffee and snacking on pocky and other commoners' junk food.<p>

"Would you like to dance, Okumura-san?" I asked, extending a hand out to my fan club's president. The other two, along with two others who I had hosted for before, were ogling my dress and hair.

"Rika-dono!" They cried.

"You look gorgeous today!" Atsuo yelled.

"But you're always gorgeous of course." Ikuma added with a grin.

"But today you are especially gorgeous!" Genta said passionately.

"Thanks, you guys!" I smiled. "So who wants to dance?"

"I do!" They all screamed.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>I sat down on a nearby bench with a quiet sigh, nibbling into a pocky from the packet I'd grabbed. Pocky was so delicious! Finally, I was finished dancing with the five boys, who made up my fan club, apparently, along with Chiyo. And I had been talking to girls since the beginning of the ball. A lot of it was about the dress, and so of course I had to ask them back. I had to say things like: where did you get your dress, it looks really pretty, you look pretty, are you enjoying yourself, etc… How tiring.<p>

"Rika-senpai!" An outgoing blond sat down next to me then hugged me. "Kyaa~! Rika-senpai is as cute as ever! Your hair is beautiful like that!"  
>"Thanks Chiyo. Want some pocky?" I held the packet out to her.<p>

"Of course! Thanks, Rika-senpai!" She took one and then froze. "Um, this wouldn't happen to be chocolate, would it?"

"Yeah, it's chocolate." I replied, pulling out another one.

"Would you like it back, senpai?" Chiyo asked, holding the pocky stick at me.

"What's wrong? You don't like chocolate?" When she shook her head, I smiled and then took a bite right while she was holding it.

"Kyaa!" Chiyo shrieked, freaking out. The five fans nearby started screaming and freaking out too. It was just a bit alarming.

I grinned. "Something happen?"

"Can I have some pocky too, Rika-dono?" Genta asked.

"Of course. Help yourself," I held the packet out to him. He took one, bit it, and then held it back out to me. The other boys asked too, and soon all the pocky was gone.

They all started whispering to each other, nudging and grinning. I couldn't hear a thing of what they were saying.

"Um," I said.

"I'll be going!" Chiyo yelled, shoving the bitten pocky into my hand. I went on munching while the guys jostled each other roughly.

"So this is what you're doing."

I froze with the pocky stick in my mouth. I felt all earlier happiness in me slip away. She was here.

I stood, and the boys moved aside, curious and confused.

Mom stepped forward, wearing her usual black and red kimono. She was big on tradition. I took the pocky out of my mouth, hiding it behind me, and smiled at her.

With long black hair tied into a side bun and dark brown eyes, I'd always been compared to my mother. People always said I looked like her, but I could never find the similarities.

"I suppose a club called the Host Club wouldn't be very good, but I would never have expected it to be this terrible." Mom said. She was not in a good mood today. In fact, I could tell she was still furious. When Mom gets annoyed, usually she'll just smile until the other side caves in. But Kimiko put up such a fight this morning, that Mom just turned ice cold.

"Terrible?" I repeated.

"Yes, just terrible." Mom replied irritably. "Look at the food. What is this 'instant coffee'? Care to explain, Rika?"

"Hey, who do you think you are," Atsuo asked, stepping up next to me. "To be talking to our Rika-dono so rudely?"

"And who is this, Rika? Your pet dogs?" Mom asked. Yeah, the Kimiko thing definitely upset her. Mom was usually cheerful and all-smiles. Once she was in a bad mood though, she'd stay like that for the whole day at least.

"We are Rika-dono's fan club and protectors!" Ikuma declared, stepping up to my other side. The other boys nodded.

"Um, this is my mother." I told the boys with a smile.

"EH?!" They stepped back, then began apologizing profusely.

"Hmph," Mom scoffed and turned away. "I expected better, Rika. When I told you to join a club, I meant an actual club. Not one where you spend time playing with boys. Ridiculous." She began walking towards the doors.

"Wait, Mom." I followed after. "It's not that. This is a ball. I was just taking a break from dancing." Gah, what was I saying? This wouldn't change her opinions. When had I ever successfully persuaded her to see things my way? "Hosting is… I just talk to them, Mom. It's not what you think."

"You don't know what I think, Rika." Mom said, stopping at the large doors. "We will speak about this further, tomorrow in the morning. I expect to see you in the dining room at nine. Be careful and don't be too late in coming home."

"Yes." I could only nod quietly. "Thanks for coming. Good night."

"Good night." She disappeared into the limo and was gone.

"That was your mom?"

"Ah!" I jumped and found Haruhi standing on the steps with a bag full of- "Instant coffee?"

Haruhi smiled and noded. "Yeah, it's really popular tonight, so we ran out."

"They let you go buy instant coffee at nine at night?" I asked, following the girl back in. "That's surprising."

"Haruhi!" Tamaki immediately attacked her with a hug. "I can't believe you went out all by yourself to get coffee! The twins were supposed to do that!"

"Well we didn't know where to find it," The twins replied, shrugging.

"How could you send poor Haruhi out all by herself?!" Tamaki yelled, crying as if he were in an anime.

"Not so surprising now," I mumbled.

"Hey! Rika-chan!"

Naoko and Hanako were standing by the food, waving. They were dressed in fairly simple, one-color dresses: dark blue and light green, respectively.

"Hey, you guys!" I ran over to them and hugged them both. "Glad you guys could come! How are you liking it?"

"It's great!" Naoko said with a grin. "This instant coffee is delicious!"

"Oh dear." Another voice said to my right. Shuji, dressed in a simple white-collared shirt, stood with his hands in his pockets and a worried look on his face.

"Shuji!" I said with a grin. "Ah, wait, no your last name is Tsukino, right? It's a hard last name to remember. Tsukino-kun!"

He spotted me and instantly blushed. "Ah! Ha-Hayashi-san!"

"You can call me Rika," I said.

He shook his head. Naoko giggled while Hanako watched with an amused grin. Naoko began singing, "Shu has a crush! Shu has a crush!"

I blushed, knowing exactly what she was implying. N-No way!

"Nao-chan!" Shuji yelled. "You've had too much caffeine!"

"This is her third cup of coffee." Hanako said with a giggle.

He sighed, face-palming momentarily. "No wonder." When he saw my confused look, he turned away to explain. "N-Nao-chan can't handle caffeine very well and acts drunk when she has too much."

I giggled too. "That's funny. And cute." What a manga-like characteristic! Too bad I don't have such a trait.

"Go dance, Shu-kun!" Naoko said, laughing. "Take this chance! Woo-woo! Go Shuji!" Hanako burst out laughing, leaning on Naoko for support.

"Go ahead, Shuji-kun. I'll watch out for Naoko-chan." Hanako said, still laughing. I turned to Shuji and extended a hand.

"Shall we then?" I smiled.

"Uh, but," Shuji glanced around. What was he looking for? "Su-Sure." He scratched the back of his neck and then gave me a hesitant smile.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and took his other hand. He blushed madly as he wrapped his hand around my waist. He was certainly much taller than me. We began to dance to the slow music.

"How long have you attended Ouran, Shuji-kun?" I asked.

"Since kindergarten," He said quietly, watching his feet. Was he worried about stepping on someone or was he just uncomfortable with staring at me?

But considering what Naoko had just said… Wouldn't that mean Shuji had a crush on me?

But why me?

Ah~ I really wasn't in the mood to think about this complicated and rather annoying topic. Besides, as sweet and cute Shuji was, I already liked someone else.

Oh. I did just think that right?

Whatever.

I sighed.

"Are you okay?" Shuji asked, finally meeting my gaze.

I smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for worrying though."

He stared at me for a while longer. Then, as if realizing what he was doing, he turned away blushing. "Ri-Rika-san. You… already li-like…"

"Yes?" I waited patiently.

"Someone else, right?" He gazed at me. There was a sad knowing look in his kind eyes. So Naoko had been right.

"Yes," I replied quietly.

"Is it Haninozuka-san?" He asked, staring at his feet once more.

"I don't know." I sighed. "But thanks, Shuji-kun. You're always fun to be with."

"How am I fun?" He looked at me, a small fire in his eyes. Then he looked away again. "I-I just blush and stammer, and I'm not funny. I'm not cute either o-or handsome! It-It's- I can't talk to you as easily as that Haninozuka kid can. What makes me fun?"

"You're very sweet and kind, Shuji-kun. And I think you're cute and handsome." I smiled genuinely.

The song ended, and he dropped my hand quickly as if it were scaldingly hot. "Thanks. Rika-san. I'll be going then." He walked away without once looking at me.

Why did it always have to turn out like this? Why did today feel so disastrous?

"Something bothering you, Rika-senpai?" Haruhi asked, coming to stand next to me.

"Nah, it's fine." I said, shrugging with a smile.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me." She smiled. "I'll try to help, if I can."

"Thanks Haruhi." I hugged her quickly.

"Want to dance?" She asked, holding out a hand. "I am, you know, a guy after all."

I laughed, taking her hand. "Right. Sure."

We started dancing to a slightly faster song. Halfway through, another hand grabbed mine, and I was spun around in a circle.

"Wah?"

When I was turned back, I was facing Hikaru. "Hello, Rika-senpai. You should have come danced with us earlier."

"Well you guys have your own guests to take care of," I replied. "And I do too."

Hikaru smirked. "But we want to dance with you too, Rika-senpai." He twirled me and then let go of my hand.

I stumbled back. What the hell was he trying to do? Kill me?

My right hand was grabbed, and I was spun back to face the other twin. Kaoru smiled warmly. "Hey, Rika-senpai. How are you enjoying the ball?"  
>"It's not bad. Except please don't twirl me like Hikaru just did." I said with a smile. Kaoru nodded. "You're quite different from Hikaru, aren't you, Kaoru?"<br>He chuckled. "I guess so. Well, time for Tono."

"Wait- What?" I was gently spun into Tamaki's arms.

"Good evening, Princess." Tamaki said with a charming smile. He kissed my hand. I giggled. Tamaki could seem so serious. We continued dancing. "Have you been enjoying yourself tonight?"

"Yes," I grinned. "When are you going to play the piano?"

"After this," He replied. Then he turned me over to another Host, who wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Hello, Rika." Kyoya turned me around to face him. His smile was surprisingly warm and soft.

"Is everything going as planned?" I asked.

He nodded. "It's a success."

"Oh, yeah, Kyoya. There's something I have to talk to you about, later." I said.

"Alright." Then without another word, he spun me away with a slight nod of his head.

A hand gripped my waist. It was Mori this time. I smiled. "Hey, Mori. How are you doing?"

He nodded. "Good."

"Did you try pocky?" I asked with a smile.

"Mmm." He nodded. "Rika-san."

"Yes?" I had to tilt my head really far to look Mori in the eye. It seemed he had something important to say though.

"You can trust Mitsukuni." He said quietly.

I fell silent but nodded. Mori knew more than he gave off. He probably knew I was hiding something. "I know."

He nodded once again then moved away.

That was it to the dancing relay? What about Honey?

"Hey, Rika." Honey grabbed my hand with a smile. Suddenly, I realized just how cute and handsome he was. Something welled up inside me. It was a strange, powerful feeling that washed over me, and I felt happy. The earlier incidents with my mom melted away, replaced by a light contentedness of being here. "That was your mom earlier, wasn't it?"

"You saw her huh?" I said with a wry smile.

"She didn't seem very… um, how to say it, happy?" We started dancing. It was a new song now.

"Yeah. She was kind of upset because of this morning." I said with a quiet sigh. Honey tilted his head, prompting me silently to continue. I paused, hoping to end the topic at that, but then Mori's words resurfaced. I licked my lips. "It was because of a fight this morning with Kimiko."

Honey nodded. We continued to dance, moving in sync with the others. He was expecting me to continue. "Well, do you want me to just start from the beginning?"

"Sure." He said with a calm smile.

"Okay. Well…

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><p><strong>And so the next chapter starts off on a flashback! Her mom really made a poor first appearance huh? Anyway, Q &amp; A time! Questions courtesy of LuvPeaceCandy!<strong>

**Tamaki:** Guess what you guys? I'm the host of the Q & A! Yay!

**Haruhi:** And I'm the other host. Sit down, Tamaki-senpai. Let's get this over with.

**Tamaki:** Okay! The first question is for Rika-chan. Why didn't you want Goofy to have your number?

**Rika:** It's none of your business, Tama-chan. *Smile*

**Haruhi:** Who's Goofy again? Oh, here's the next question-

**Tamaki:** Wait, Haruhi! That was a terrible answer from Rika-chan!

**Haruhi:** It's still an answer. Next question: Did Rika-senpai and Goofy date?

**Rika:** No. Is that all?

**Haruhi:** Hang on, one more question for you: Why don't you tell Honey everything?

**Tamaki:** What does that mean? Rika-chan, have you been hiding things from your family?

**Haruhi:** Tamaki-senpai, sit down. Here, you can ask the next question.

**Rika:** I'll be leaving now. *Leaves*

**Honey:** *Smile*

**Tamaki: **Oh, Honey-senpai, this question is for you!

**Honey: **Okay!

**Tamaki:** Why didn't you ask Rika to the Host Club ball?

**Honey: **I could do that?!

**Kyoya: **Of course not.

**Honey:** *Pout* That's why.

**Haruhi: **This one is for Goofy. Who is he anyway?

**Kyoya:** Rika's middle school friend.

**Rika:** Oi! Kyoya! Don't go around giving away people's life stories!

**Kyoya:** Ah, you came back.

**Haruhi:** Hey, that Goofy kid is coming.

**Rika:** Bye then! *Leaves*

**Goofy:** How sad. I'm making an appearance here before making an appearance in the actual story...

**Haruhi:** Anyway, let's hurry up and wrap up this Q & A. It's been dragging on. Here's your question: How did you feel when Rika didn't let Mickey give you her number and contact info?

**Goofy:** Figure that one out yourself. Why isn't Rika here?

**Tamaki:** Who is this man?!

**Hikaru:** Yeah, what is your relation to Rika-senpai?

**Koaru:** And what's your real name?

**Haruhi:** Anyway, that ends the Q & A. See you all next time.

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><p><strong>Yeah. That's it. That was kind of long... Anyway, send in questions if you have any! :D And thanks for reading! Please review!<strong>

**And this is like the cutest emoticon ever!**

**ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ**

**It's a bear! How cute is that?! XD**


	17. Engagement and Bad News

**It's the 17th chapter! And to all new readers, don't forget to check out the poll on my profile page! :D**

**Oh yeah. It's a DOUBLE UPDATE! Cause I'm on Spring Break ;)**

**LuvPeaceCandy:** Can't wait! Send me the link when you're done! :D Lol I love your fangirl scream XD

**Karnevalfreak59: **Thanks for reading and reviewing! And welcome!

**CrossingtheDelaware:** Thank you! :) Glad Rika's not a Mary Sue. ^_^ Welcome to the story!

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**Guest:** Hello! Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)

**And all my old peeps! Where did you gooooo? Like iiAnimeLover and Day and pandypandas! And DreamTrance14 and PhoenixOtaku. Hope you guys are still around! **

**And now here's the chapter! Hope you like it!**

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><p><em>Kimiko was already there when I arrived with Azumi, wearing a sunny-yellow dress and black cardigan. Mom and Kimiko were seated at the living room, with a tray of tea and crackers in front of them. The entire house was super clean. I'd never seen it so clean before.<em>

_ "Ah, Rika," Mom stood up from her seat, black kimono and all. She smiled. "Welcome home. It's good to see you dear. Now sit down so we can have a proper chat as a family."_

_ That usually meant that she had news. It could be good or bad. I sat down next to Kimiko, opposite Mom. A maid came by and poured me a cup of tea._

_ "Thank you," I murmured when the maid handed the warm cup to me._

_ "I see you still have that odd habit of thanking our servants, Rika." Mom said. "I suppose it's not that terrible. Now, I have some good news for you, Kimiko dear."_

_ "Oh, uh, Mom, I have news too." Kimiko said with a bright beam._

_ Mom smiled back, folding her arms into her lap. "I'm sure you do. Let me tell you first okay? Now, I have found you an excellent future husband."_

_ Kimiko's smile vanished. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped opened. "B-But! M-Mom! I have-"_

_ "Is there a problem with this?" Mom's smile, if possible, became brighter._

_ I sat there watching. Kimiko rarely fought back against Mom, so I'd thought she would just accept it. Even if it was about her future husband, and she did like that one dude…_

_ At first, she sat there staring at her hands on her knees. She looked like she was going to accept it. What choice did she have anyway? Then her eyes hardened and she stared straight at Mom's smiling face._

_ "Yes! There is."_

_ It was quite unexpected really. Even Mom flinched, surprised at the sudden harshness in Kimiko's voice._

_ Mom stopped smiling and stared calmly at Kimiko instead. "And what is this problem?" She crossed her arms._

_ "I already have a boyfriend," Kimiko replied. She looked down, biting her lip. "Since last week actually, but since you were coming, I thought I'd tell you in person. And tell Rika too."_

_ "That is no excuse. You'll break up with him in a few months anyway. I've met the boy. He's a sweet one. I'm sure you'll come to like him, Kimiko." Mom just brushed it all away. She wasn't startled at all that Kimiko had a boyfriend. But I…_

_ "A boyfriend?" I leaned closer towards Kimiko. "Who is it?"_

_ She looked at me with a shy smile, a small blush dusting her cheeks. "Masahiko-kun! Finally! After all these years!"_

_ Wow. How long had she been crushing on him? And finally her unrequited love became her boyfriend? That's so nice! And great! It just proves that unrequited love can always have a chance!_

_ "A-And that's exactly why, Mom!" Kimiko whirled back to Mom, who was sitting patiently. "I've loved Masahiko-kun for… for almost six years! Ever since I met him in my first year of high school. You can't just take that away from me! There's no way I'd let us break apart in just a few months! We know each other so well- I love him so much!"_

_ Mom sighed quietly. "It's just infatuation. Something that will blow over quickly."_

_ Kimiko's eyes narrowed. "If you call six years infatuation, then I don't know what love could possibly be."_

_ "You've idolized this Masahiko," Mom replied coldly. "Once you truly know him, you'll learn that he's not who you imagined him to be. What family is he from?"_

_ "Why does it matter?" Kimiko asked pleadingly._

_ "I have arranged for this marriage in the best interest of the Hayashi and Oshiro family. Surely you should understand."_

_ "Well I don't want to marry this guy! I don't care what great family he's from!" Kimiko stood up, eyes blazing with a mix of emotions._

_ "Ungrateful brat!" Mom shrieked, standing up too. She wasn't very tall, and was, in fact, a bit shorter than Kimiko. "You of all people should know better than this!"_

_ "Says who?! I am grateful!" Now she was yelling. "But you don't understand a thing at all! You can pick my house! My job! Where I work and when I work! You can pick my clothes for all I care! But you can not take away my choice of who I love! I love Masahiko! And that's that! Not that dude! Whoever that dude is!"_

_ Then she was crying. But she continued on amidst sobs, rubbing at her eyes and sniffling. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't do anything to repay you. I know I'm not as great as Rika. I know I'm not as smart or capable. I'm sorry I'm just a burden. But, I'm asking you, please just let me… please don't make me marry him. Please. I just want… this choice. And don't try to make… please don't force the same- not on Rika. Please, not Rika. Let-Let her pick too."_

_ Mom frowned. Her forehead creased ever so slightly. She never had been much of a sucker for tears. But she would usually back up a bit when there were tears. "Stop your crying, Kimiko. I'll let you think it over." She sat down, crossing her arms once more. "However, I believe in the end you will be with him."_

_ Kimiko froze. She quickly rubbed the rest of the tears away and took a deep breath. "That's it?" She said. "You think, that in the end, I'll marry this dude?"_

_ "His name is Funaki Shoichi. And you've met him a few times before." Mom said._

_ Kimiko made an exasperated noise, throwing her arms up. "Whatever! Sho whatever! You think I'll marry him? Well I don't want to, Mom!" Kimiko seemed to spit the last word. "I won't. I have the choice of who I marry. Me." She pointed at herself._

_ "You don't seem to understand anything at all, Kimiko." Mom had regained her cool. "By marrying Shoichi, you'll be doing your part. Your marriage will bring together the Funaki and Hayashi family."_

_ "Oh so we can be even more rich? So we can have even more power? For what? What is the point of all of this? Guess what, I'm not marrying that guy. The Hayashi family is good enough without that Funaki thing. We don't need-"_

_ "You do not know what we need or do not need-"_

_ "Yeah, cause I'm stupid right?" Kimiko was pissed now. She glared at Mom, but really, her glares have no strength behind it at all. "I live my life ignorantly? Don't think I don't know anything. This is MY life. You have no right to control it. I'm an adult now. I have a job and a boyfriend. If you want money, I'll pay you back for every yen you have spent on me."_

_ Okay. When did she have a job? That must have happened pretty recently. Now that I consider it, I hadn't seen Kimiko much for a while. She was always busy with her friends or school… or a job. And I was too busy to bother with her business._

_ Mom glared back. Her glares are scary! "That is not what I wan-"_

_ "Just the same as how I don't want to marry Sho-whatever."_

_ "We will discuss this further." Mom said._

_ "No, we will not." Kimiko started backing away. "Because there is nothing left to discuss. I won't marry this dude. That's that."_

_ "You will." Mom said._

_ "No. I will not. Now, good bye." Then Kimiko was out of the living room and slamming the front door shut._

* * *

><p>"That's basically what happened." I said with a cheerful smile. It was really rare for Kimiko to fight back against Mom, and even rarer for Mom to get so angry.<p>

Honey raised his eyebrows. "Sounds like it was intense."

"Yeah." I shrugged. "Mom can be really scary, and Kimiko can become really, really angry. It was interesting though. Something like that doesn't happen often."

"Then what happened?"

"Huh?" The music stopped and the twins were chattering on the microphone. It was time for Tamaki's solo performance.

"What did your mom say to you?" Honey asked. People all around us were moving further into the room, trying to get a good view of Tamaki. He began playing, and sweet, beautiful music began to flow.

"Well she asked me what club I'd decided to join. And so I told her about the Host Club and how we were having a ball tonight. So she said she was going to come and drop by, to see what it was like. And I guess she didn't get a very good impression of the Club." I said, fidgeting with my fingers nervously. If it was about Kimiko, I was fine telling Honey about it. But me…

"Thanks, Rika." Honey smiled. It was a different kind of smile. One of contemplation, warmth, and genuine...thanks. He began weaving his way through the crowd towards Tamaki and the Host Club.

"For what?" I followed behind him.

"For telling me these things," he replied, glancing back at me with another one of those smiles. Small and thoughtful. I didn't know what kind of smile I could call it. I shrugged uncomfortably. What could I say in such a situation? "Your welcome"?

We arrived in front of the platform Tamaki was performing on. In front, the rest of the Host Club was watching Tamaki along with the guests.

I stood next to Haruhi to enjoy the music. Tamaki was skilled alright. After the performance, Tamaki made some announcements. "Thank you all for coming tonight!" He said, receiving an uproar of applause. "We hope you all had an excellent evening!"

There was some more chatter and then the room began to filter out. People had been leaving for a while. It was… almost twelve, actually.

I was tired. So tired. Tired of the drama that came with my parents, the drama that came with relationships. Crushes, friends, and enemies. Drama seemed to cling to every surface of my life. Why? When I considered it, my life could totally be a plot in a manga. Probably shojo though.

I sighed quietly.

Plus I hadn't gotten that much sleep last night. And, for some reason, I needed sleep. I wasn't like those who could stay up until three in the morning studying. My brain usually malfunctioned at some time at midnight.

I stifled a yawn.

We, the Hosts, had to hang around until every guest was gone. We stood by the doors saying good bye and good night, wishing them happiness and joy and lalala.

Finally, at about twelve-thirty, it was quiet.

I let out a sigh, wiggling my legs. We'd been standing at the same place for a long time. And now...there was the trouble of cleanup.

Honey yawned.

"Time for cleanup," Kyoya said calmly, tapping a pen to his black notebook. "Let's just quickly wrap things up and go home."

"Sounds like the best idea you've ever had in years!" I said, yawning.

"What do you need help with?" Mori asked. Man, he must be tired too.

"Go ahead and change out of your clothes first," Kyoya said to the other Hosts. "Rika, you and I will deal with the cleanup."

"That's not fair, Kyo-chan." Honey said, though his eyes were almost slits. Now that I thought about it, he probably hadn't gotten much more sleep than I did. "Ri-chan is always doing everything."

"Kyo-chan does lots of things too." I said. "That's why I have to help him. Or else this demon who doesn't know how to procrastinate would die from lack of sleep." I smiled cheerfully, then pushed Honey gently towards the other Hosts, who were trudging to the back room.

Honey sighed then reluctantly followed. "Now, Kyoya. What do I have to do?" I turned back around.

"Here." He handed me the clipboard once more. "I'm going to change too."

Eh? Really?!

"Kyoya, you jerk!" I yelled. Then I quickly went to attend to everything on the clipboard. There was the orchestra that needed to receive their payment (Kyoya had tucked an envelope of money under the sheet) and the crew workers that needed to be directed to clean up the food, silverware, and trash, along with the tables, benches, and chairs that needed to be put away.

"Thank you guys so much." I said with a bow to the workers, who were busy moving things around. I smiled at them.

"Cute kid," One mumbled.

Someone tapped me on my shoulder as I stood watching the workers work. Kyoya stood behind me, and reached his hand out to take the clipboard back. "Go change, Rika. I'll deal with the rest. Thanks for your hard work."

"Thanks for yours, Kyoya." I smiled. Ugh, I was tired. My eyes were really drooping. "You really do everything in this club." I patted his arm then headed to the backroom to change.

I rode the limo back with Honey. I fell asleep at some point. When I woke up, Honey was shaking me with a small smile.

"Thanks, Mitsukuni." I rubbed at my eyes in an attempt to wake up. "For lots of things. For everything."

"What are you saying, Ri-chan?" He replied with a short laugh.

"I'm tired. Good night, Mitsu-kun." I climbed out of the limo with a smile.

"Good night."

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

It was ten-thirty. Honey had rarely slept this late on a Sunday. He'd always been one of early sleep and early rise.

He was finishing up his breakfast when Yasuchika entered the dining room. "Ah, Mitsukuni."

Honey looked up with sleepy eyes. "Hm?"

"Rika-san," Chika said slowly, "Is in the dojo right now, sparring with some dummies."

"Okay. Thanks, Chika-chan." Honey began eating his morning cake. His brother's words had barely registered yet.

Chika hung around, watching his brother with mild concern. He'd been expecting Honey to jump up and run straight to the dojo or at least perk up at Rika's name. After finally seeing that he'd get no such reaction, Chika left the dining room.

The cake woke Honey up, and, finally, the words came to him.

"Ri-chan!" He yelled suddenly, slapping his hands on the table. He inhaled the rest of the cake and ran out of the room towards the dojo.

At the doors of the dojo, he hesitated and leaned forward instead to listen. He could hear the solid thwacks and whacks as she attacked the dummy. But there was something else to it. At first, it seemed rhythmic, but after listening further, she began speeding up. Whack-whack-thwack-smack!

He slid the dojo door open cautiously.

She was wearing a short-sleeved, gray hoodie and cargo pants, bought from the mall last time. She was punching the dummy in front of her: right, left, right, left.

She was staring at the dummy with a hard, cold gaze, as if it wasn't a dummy that she was punching but something else. Maybe even a person. And her punches were becoming sloppy. They lost the good form and rhythm. She was blindingly pounding at the dummy.

Then he saw the red color on one of her hands.

"Rika!" He yelled, launching himself at her.

She was swinging her left hand around to punch the dummy again when a hand clasped around her fist, gently stopping her movement.

She was furious. Who dare stop her? Couldn't they see that she just wanted to be left alone right now?

Her right hand shot towards the anonymous intruder, but it was stopped by another hand. She glared. Who was this?

"Rika! Calm down!" Honey pushed the girl against the wall, forcing her to look at him. There was a crazy light in her eyes, running wild. "It's me! Honey! Mitsukuni! Mi-kun! Mi-chan! Whatever you want to call me!"  
>Rika blinked at the word Honey. She blinked some more, trying to clear up her vision. Damn it, she thought. I just had to fucking forget to put on my contacts this morning. Damn it!<p>

But she could still make out the familiar blond hair and those brown eyes, which were gazing at her with deep worry.

Honey relaxed when he saw the clarity return to her eyes. He dropped her right hand but held onto her left, which was bleeding. "Are you alright, Rika?"

"I'm sorry." She dropped her head against his shoulder.

He pulled her left hand towards him to inspect. Her knuckles were bleeding. She'd been punching that dummy with so much strength that he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd also broken some bones. He probed her hand carefully and then rotated her wrist.

"Ow!" She jerked away. "That hurt!"

"You hurt yourself," He said calmly, pulling her left hand towards him again.

"It's fine." She tried to pull away, but he held on tightly.

"It's not fine. Come on, we'll go to Dr. Maruya." Honey then swept her into his arms. Bridal style.

Penetrating through all the anger and hate that had been fueling through her, a single thought rang clear: I'm being carried bridal style!

Oh my God it's my first time and it's just like in the mangas! Wouldn't that make me the heroine and Honey the hero? Wow! This is a first! A moment in history to be marked and remember forever!

Gah. What am I thinking… at this point… it'd be more like…

"Ow!" She grimaced. Her pinky finger hurt.

"Are you okay?" Honey asked. He was walking briskly to the doctor's personal room. It wasn't far from the dojo, mainly because injuries usually occurred in the dojo. "What happened? Why were you-?"

He felt her press into his chest. Looking down, he saw that she had buried her face into his shirt.

"Does it hurt?" He asked softly, reaching the doctor's office. "Dr. Maruya! Open up please! Rika is hurt."

The door slid open quickly, revealing the same doctor who'd seen to Rika after the kidnapping attempt.

"You again, huh?" The doctor said with a kind chuckle, moving aside to let the two in. Honey set Rika down gently on the edge of a bed. "So what is it now?"

When Rika made no move to show her hand to the doctor, Honey grabbed her left hand. Dr. Maruya took it, inspecting the bloodied knuckles.

"I'm going to check your hand for any broken bones or fractures, okay?" The doctor said gently and began probing Rika's hands.

"Ow!" She yelped when the doctor reached her pinky. Honey sat down on her right side and took her right hand absentmindedly.

"Pinky finger is broken." Dr. Maruya said.

"Ow." Rika said quietly, biting her lip and squeezing Honey's hands. "My wrist."

"Seems like you've sprained it," The doctor said calmly. He then began cleaning the blood off her knuckles, using an antibacterial suave.

It stung, causing Rika to whimper and tighten her hold on Honey's hands. Then the doctor bandaged up her knuckles, which were just bruised and cut up.

"I don't know how this happened." The doctor said. "But you need to be careful. Hands are very precious things."

I know. Rika thought quietly. I've done lots of things with these hands, including beating the crap out of a whole ton of people.

Her wrist was wrapped up with a slight cast to keep her from injuring it further. Then her pinky was done the same.

"Take her to the hospital, Mitsukuni-sama," Dr. Maruya said. "Mainly for the pinky. I could cast it, but it'd be better if she got an X-ray first."  
>"Alright." Honey stood, and Rika followed.<p>

"Thank you," Rika bowed slightly before being tugged out of the room by Honey. Once well away from the room, she said, "I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Don't be stupid." He replied quietly.

"Can't he just cast it for me?"

"No. He doesn't specialize in broken bones, Rika. He deals with bruises and cuts and sprained ankles. Usually people don't break their bones when practicing martial arts. Come on, it'll be quick." They reached the front door, and Honey began pulling on his shoes.

"But my parents will find out," She said in a quiet whisper.

He glanced at her. "They don't have to."

"But the medical bill-"

"I'll deal with it then."

"No. I have a bank account. It should be enough, since last night there was a lot of income. But won't others find out about this?" She slipped on her black flats.

"It's fine." Honey said, taking her uninjured hand. "Come on."

Rika swallowed. Why was Honey doing all of this for her? It was her fault. It was her fault she'd gotten herself injured like this. It was her fault she had to hide so many things from her mom. It was her fault. It was all her fault. So why? What could he possibly gain from this? Her trust? He already had it. He had more than that too. He already had her heart.

"I'm sorry." Rika said again. "I'm sorry."

"Stop it." Honey said.

She hung her head, gloomily. What was the point of all of this? In the end, they'd all be taken away. She'd be left with nothing but memories.

It's all her fault. How dare she… Once again, my friends, the ones I love, are being taken away. And I can't fight back. There's nothing I can do.

Why?

"Hey," Rika said quietly, not looking up. Honey glanced worriedly at her. Something was definitely wrong. She was never like this. "Mitsukuni, you want to know what I've been hiding from you and the Host Club?"

"Yes," Honey replied in a hushed whisper. He leaned forward tentatively.

"I'll tell you." She raised her head and met his gaze. This time there weren't any traces of anger or hatred, instead there was only strong determination.

"Okay."

* * *

><p><strong>A different side to Rika! And finally, she's going to tell him everything! Strap up and prepare for a ton of flashbacks and memories!<strong>

**These chapters are pretty short, huh? And Honey isn't getting too OOC right? All opinions and suggestions are welcome! Review please!**

**Thank you for reading! **


	18. Flashbacking Begins: How We All Met

**Hey everyone! **

**LuvPeaceCandy:** Lol, not sure if it can be counted as a cliff hanger. Well yeah, kinda. ^_^ Thanks for reviewing! Now let's get out of Tamaki's emo corner! :D Here's the chapter. Hope you like it!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Glob, lol, that's cute. Thank you so much! :D Hope you like this chapter!

**AwakenedSecrets: **Aw yeah, Mary-Sues hehe. It won't be sad! Not too sad anyway! :P Thanks for reviewing! :)

**DreamTrance14**: Yeah! Go lazy people! :P And laziness, lol. Thanks for reading though!

**the pandypandas: **Yay, you're still here! ^_^ Hope you like this chapter! And thank you for reading

**And now, the chapter! :D And yes, it starts off immediately with a flashback.**

* * *

><p><em>"Good morning, Rika." Mom said, drinking her morning cup of coffee.<em>

_"Good morning." I sat down, and Izanami set down at tray of buttered toast, fresh strawberries, scrambled eggs, and my own special coffee._

_Mom eyed my breakfast incredulously. When I first met Azumi, I gave her a list of foods I liked for each meal. From that day on, she coordinated my meals, picking things from the list and adding other things she thought I might like. It was nice, actually, not having to pick what to eat three times a day._

_"About the Host Club, Rika, I have looked into it. I do not approve of it, so you will quit the club tomorrow morning." She looked at me with a sharp gaze. She was probably worried that I'd argue back, and I was tempted to. The Host Club was getting me money. But, more importantly, it was fun, and it was where my friends were at._

_I was sleepy and rubbed at my eyes. It was too early. I hadn't gotten enough sleep. I didn't have much will to fight back. Besides, what would the point be? I could never win against her. So I just nodded. "Understood."_

_Mom kept watching me critically, as if expecting a sudden outburst. I was not going to blow my cover, not over the Host Club. All I had to do was survive several more months and then I'd be free. I could do whatever I wanted to._

_"When I told you to join a club, I meant an intellectual one. Not a silly one to play around with. You are far too old for that, Rika. You should have known that before you even considered joining the Host Club. I do admit that the Host Club is filled with handsome, young men which may entice you to join, however, one must never succumb to one's desires."_

_"Can I still be their friends?" I asked, biting into the eggs._

_"Hm.. I suppose," Mom said. "Just not that commoner girl. She's definitely trouble. Pretending to be a boy, ridiculous. That's what commoners are. Ridiculous, silly fools who couldn't possibly make the right decisions."_

_I hated this side of Mom. She looked down on "commoners," even without knowing any personally. What was with this prejudice? I couldn't help but agree with what Kimiko had said yesterday. Trying to join that Funaki family to ours was just for more money and power. But why did we need any more? Didn't we have enough already? We were a billionaire family. We were already better off than 99.9% of the population. We were probably better off than 99% of the entire world population. Why want more?_

_Greed is such an ugly sin._

_"But the rest are fine?" I said._

_"Yes. You may want to avoid the Suoh boy a bit though, being a bastard child and all. I do approve of associating with Ootori Kyoya and the Haninozuka and Morinozuka children. They will be excellent contacts."_

_I finished my breakfast and wiped my mouth daintly. "Yes, mother. I understand. Thank you for your advice. What club would you suggest I join then?"_

_Mom smiled. Yes, she had won. Again. But once I graduate, I'd be the winner. "The Chess Club is quite well-known and would be excellent for you, Rika dear. You used to play chess a lot when you were younger after all."_

_I nodded. "Yes, that is a good club."_

_"It's just a suggestion. You can always join another one. Now, Rika, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Come on out, Funaki Minoru."_

* * *

><p>An hour later, I was back in the limo with Honey. The doctors of the nearby Ootori hospital had given me the highest priority. They ran X-rays over both my hands. My right hand was fine though, save for the bruised knuckles. Then they casted my pinky and rebandaged up my wrist.<p>

"They're bound to notice my hand like this," I said, having calmed down. I lifted up my left hand, bandaged up.

"What are you going to say happened then?" He asked, staring at my hand.

I shrugged. "I dunno. How about I fell down the stairs and landed on my hand badly?"

He glanced at me. "But you usually have good balance."

"Yeah." I sighed.

"So what happened?" He leaned back into his seat.

I sighed again. "Mom… She told me that I couldn't be a part of the Host Club and that I had to join a different, 'intellectual' club."

"What?" Honey stared at me wide eyes and furrowed brows.

"Yeah. I'll probably join the Chess Club or something like that. It made me really mad though. That's why I was beating up that dummy like that. There's a reason why my right hand is alright."

His eyes narrowed. "You knew what you were doing."

"Yeah. I figured I was pissed enough to hurt myself."

The limo pulled up into the driveway, and we climbed out. Quietly, we walked to Honey's room without any doubt.

"Do you want to tell me the details?" He asked, once the door was shut. I was kind of glad that I didn't have my glasses with me. I didn't want to see Honey's face so clearly.

We sat down on his bed. Hiro was there, and I pulled him to me. I told him the details, but left out the guest Mom had invited. He wouldn't want to hear that right now.

"Well you can still be our friend!" Honey said with an optimistic grin, though he'd frowned when he'd heard what Mom had said about Haruhi and Tamaki.

"Yeah. But it still pisses me off." I stretched out on the bed. "She's trying to control my life. She-" I thought of what she'd said, and the anger burned in me once again.

"So about your secret or whatever..." Honey said, lying down next to me.

"Want to hear it? It was in middle school." I replied.

"What happened?"

"Hm...How should I start? Well, do you know about the Hayashi scandals? We were in sixth grade when they started."

"I think so," Honey said with a nod.

"Some other company, I don't really remember which, was stirring up a bunch of scandals. They had a bunch of their own people in our company, causing trouble. There were these pictures of my dad having an affair and claims of food poisoning. They weren't true, I think. And employers were randomly firing people, and employees were causing all sorts of ruckus. Basically there were a ton of law suits and public disapproval of the Hayashi Sweets company. My parents were really busy, trying to find the root of the scandals.

At that time, Kimiko was just starting high school just as I was starting middle school. My parents had already arranged for her to attend Ouran High School. But with all the trouble, she didn't really want to go. So for a few weeks into the school year, neither Kimiko nor I went to school. They finally got Kimiko to agree and sent her to Ouran immediately.

My parents were busy, so I took the chance to see if I could go to a public middle school. I was sick of all the private schools, with the uptight students and teacher, stiff uniforms, and strict rules. So I persuaded them into agreement, saying how it'd get me out of the media's attention.

At a plain, unknown school I could be kept out of the public as they dealt with the scandals. So they told me that I could pick any middle school. It could even be one out of the country."

Honey nodded, listening attentively.

"At that time, I'd thought that my parents didn't want me around. Why else would they so easily agree to it? They were spending so much of their time and attention on the scandals and Kimiko anyway. So I'd defended my actions by saying that my parents weren't paying any attention to me. I'd thought that, maybe if I asked to go to a dangerous place for school, they'd say something. Maybe they'd want me to go to Ouran middle school. Maybe they'd want me around." I continued, then paused.

How could I be telling him this? Sure, we were all selfish brats as kids, but this was… this was more personal. I had wanted my parents' attention. It had been diverted by the scandals and by Kimiko's drama. And I remember thinking: why could Kimiko go to Ouran but I couldn't? My parents hadn't mentioned a thing about what middle school I should attend. I had had to speak up. Maybe, if I hadn't said a thing, I could have spent an entire year out of school.

And neither of us had gone to Ouran before, not for elementary or kindergarten. We'd gone to a different, smaller elementary and middle school famous for having the smartest and most talented alumni.

"Anyway, I looked up some middle schools. I wanted to go to a dangerous place, one with yakuza or something. And I found Akawari Middle School. It was a middle school in a region filled with gangs. There were high school gangs, biker gangs, and others. They were terrorizing that region."

"What region?" Honey asked.

"Suzze_*****_ region. It has a pretty large city in the middle, and it's surrounded by three smaller towns. Akawari was in the larger town." I said. "So I told my parents, and they were like, 'Okay! If that's where you want to go, then go ahead!' But then they didn't want people to find that that was where I was. A lot of the media wanted to find out more about me. So they enrolled me in Sprucewell, a middle school abroad, and set up all sorts of complex and fake records. Like how I got all A's there, and they even picked a few students there to be my friends.

I actually went to Akawari though. At first, I thought, 'Maybe I shouldn't, since it's a dangerous place.' But then I thought, 'Whatever, I can beat up anyone. And besides, maybe I can do something so that my parents might actually look at me.'

I asked for a simple place. My parents got me a small house, about a ten minute walk from the school, and sent a maid as my official guardian. She cooked and cleaned and signed papers. And that's how I ended up at Akawari." I said with a nostalgic smile.

"Is that it?" Honey asked, glancing at me curiously.

"No. Let's see. There's more. A lot more. It's a really long story, actually."

"We have time." He said. "I want to hear it."

"Okay. Then I guess I'll tell you how we all first met. Well, everyone except the 3 Musketeers and the Color Squad." Honey gave me a confused look. "The 3 Musketeers were three delinquents at our school. The kinds of people that'd occasionally skip class to just sit around and talk. They were a part of the gang."

"Gang?" He said.

"Oh, yeah. Maybe I should tell you this first. I formed a gang in middle school. We beat up all the other ones."

He raised his eyebrows. "That's…"

"Surprising?" I smiled. "Weird? Crazy? Yeah."

"No, that's interesting." He smiled.

"And the Color Squad was made of five students from a nearby private school. There was Violet, Orange, Blue, Green, and Cardinal. Yeah, the names are all from Akane. They're colors in English. Violet was the leader of the girls kendo club at their school. Blue and Green were the two best wrestlers at their school. Orange was a member of the kendo club, and Cardinal was the leader of their judo club. When we were up against a stronger gang, we'd ask for their help. You know, when the usual six of us couldn't beat up the gang, they'd join us. It was an attempt to establish peace though." I said. "Let me start from the beginning. When we all first met. It's funny actually, the way this world works…

_It was the day before I started school. I'd come to the school to check it out. It was a simple, large, and white building. There were three stories, and, of course, the infamous roof top. It was early, and students were in their classrooms._

_ After getting a tour from the school secretary, I met my homeroom teacher. You know how public schools work. They're different from the private schools I'd attended, where the students move about and the teachers stay in their own room. At this middle school, it was the teachers that moved about. I was in room 1-B. After meeting the teacher, I could leave, so I climbed up the three flights of stairs, and then, another one to the rooftop._

_ The door was unlocked. Lunch was starting by the time I walked on to the rooftop. I could hear the students chattering as they left their classrooms._

_ The rooftop was like the ones in mangas. There was a wire fence surrounding it to keep students from falling. It was bare and there was the occasional piece of trash and bird poo. I walked around the small building that contained the staircase. It wasn't very tall, so, I did the most logical thing to do: I climbed onto it._

_ Standing there, nearly four stories up and without any boundaries, I could see the town in front of me. I could see the trees, homes and other buildings, and roads. I watched as cars, motorcycles, bikes, and people moved about. It was a beautiful sight._

_ Then I heard the rooftop door open, and rowdy voices flooded in. I wasn't surprised that a bunch of noisy people would use the roof, but I had been hoping, quietly, that there would be more interesting people here. Yeah, I'd been reading shojo manga recently._

_ "Hurry up, Asari!"_

_ "This is gonna be awesome!"_

_ "Yeah, can you imagine his face?"_

_ "It's gonna be hilarious!"_

_ I peered over the edge, hoping not to be noticed. Four boys were crowding around the doorway._

_ One boy grabbed a bucket from a second one. Then he reached up and rammed a nail into the wall right above the door. I had to duck away so he wouldn't see me. When I glanced back, the nail was holding the bucket, filled with dirty, muddy water and chunks of ice._

_ Bullying? That was my first thought. If it was just a harmless prank, it'd probably just be ice, something that could be easily removed. Water, especially dirty water like this, would be far more difficult. I pulled out my cellphone._

_ I backed away once again when I saw the first boy reach back up as the door was opened. He had short black hair, looking sloppy and messy. His eyes were a dark brown, so dark it looked like they could be black. And he looked skinny._

_ There was some piece of metal now on the door top, flat, circular, and small. It slid away as the door shut. What did that do?_

_ "Come on, you guys!" This was a taller, larger boy. His hair was bleached blond and gelled into a short spike in the center, and he looked like the typical gangster. He was probably the leader of the bully group._

_ Should I stop them?_

_ The four boys backed away from the door._

_ The leader boy grinned. "He'll be here soon."_

_ Sure enough, footsteps could be heard coming up the staircase. The doorknob twisted and the door was pushed open slowly. Curly, brown hair popped into my view. I watched as the door opened completely, and that strange metal disk suddenly sprang up. It became a sturdy rod. It was ingenious actually. Instead of the classic, balancing of the bucket on a slightly opened door, that boy had set it up so that the bucket would be tilted._

_ As the door opened, the stick drew closer and closer to the bucket. The leader boy, bored and impatient, grabbed the door and wrenched it open._

_ Within seconds that brown head was drenched. The stick had crashed into the bucket and tipped it over._

_ "Gah!" The boy shrieked, backing away. He bounced up and down, probably in an attempt to get the ice cubes out. But the leader boy grabbed his collar and pulled him back, kicking the door shut._

_ Okay, if it gets ugly, I'll step in. I thought._

_ "This is what you get, stupid Yasuda!" Leader boy spat._

_ "L-Let me go! Please!" Yasuda cried out. He glanced wildly at the other boys. Two of them were grinning. The other one, the one who had set up the entire thing, was just watching with a bored expression. "Asari-san! Please help me!"_

_ "Why would Asari help you?" jeered the other boy._

_ "He's one of us," The second boy said._

_ Leader boy threw Yasuda to the floor and stomped on his back. "Come on. Give us some money, Yasuda. Aren't you from a good family? Surely you have some allowance to spare."_

_ Then the rooftop door flew open to reveal a girl, with long, slightly wavy, black hair. She was panting and her face was red. She'd evidently ran here._

_ When she saw Yasuda on the floor and the bullies surrounding him, she stepped forward. "Get away from Mikiya now! And leave him alone!"_  
><em> "Aw, if it isn't little Mina here to defend her boyfriend." The other two nameless bullies moved towards her with creepy smiles.<em>

_ "What are you doing here, Mina?" Yasuda Mikiya yelled from his position. "Didn't I tell you to not follow me?"_

_ Mina slowly backed away from the two bullies. "B-But, Mikiya- what sh-"_

_ The rooftop door was closed once again. Her back was against the wall, surrounded by the two bullies._

_ "Leave Mina alone! You can have all my money, just leave her alone!" Mikiya screamed. The leader bully ignored him, stomping on his back._

_ "Shut up, Yasuda. We can do what we want with your girlfriend." He began kicking Yasuda in the stomach._

_ "She's not my girlfriend!"_

_ Okay, it was getting out of hand. Time for me to step in._

_ Then the rooftop door slammed open._

_ Another girl with long, light blond hair and pale blue eyes walked towards the bullies calmly. This was new. A foreigner? Maybe she'd be a bit more effective against the bullies than Mina had been._

_ "This is the second time already." She said coldly. There was an interesting accent in her voice. It sounded western. American or European, maybe?_

_ The bullies gulped, except for that Asari dude, who just edged away slowly. The leader scowled and kicked Yasuda once more._

_ "Last time was because we went easy on you, Ice Queen." Bully leader said, stepping towards the girl. "But this time we won't!" He swung his right fist at her._

_ Wow, what terrible form. He had left nearly his entire body open to her. All she had to do was move slightly to his left and beat the crap out of him. But can she do that?_

_ She shifted over to his left and slammed a hard punch right into his solar plexus. Ooh, that was a good punch._

_ Bully leader coughed, flung back from the force of her blow. He stumbled and fell to his knees, coughing._

_ "Why you!" The other two bullies launched themselves at her._

_ With a calm expression, she tripped one, then shoved her knee at the falling boy's stomach. She dodged the third boy and then punched his stomach._

_ "Oof!"_

_ Soon three bullies were on the ground, clutching their wounds. I definitely didn't want to go against her. She was fast and efficient, with excellent form too._

_ "And you," She turned to that Asari kid. "Find some better friends."_

_ Asari shrugged then walked towards the rooftop door. "Whatever," He said then disappeared into the building._

_ "Thank you, Barton-san." Mina said to the Ice Queen girl with a look of obvious relief._

_ "Don't get into fights you can't win," Ice Queen, or Barton, said calmly. That was definitely a Western name._

_ Mina's eyebrows were furrowed in concern, and she frowned. She probably wasn't happy with the answer she had gotten. But she brushed it off, opting to go to her boyfriend's side and help him to his feet._

_ "Are you okay?" She asked Mikiya. "Let's go visit the nurse."_

_ Ice Queen opened the door. Then she stopped and looked up, straight at me. I'd been crouching at the edge of the rooftop building and watching this entire time. I smiled at her, aware that the afternoon sun would make me nothing but a silhouette. I probably seemed like a creeper to her._

_ Then she shrugged and entered, leaving behind Mina and Mikiya to walk slowly back in. After they'd left, the bullies began to pick themselves up._

_ I leapt down next to them with an intrigued smile. Maybe I hadn't made the wrong choice in picking this school. There seemed to be some interesting people here, like that Ice Queen and that Asari bully._

_ "What the-?" The lead bully said, startled at my sudden appearance._

_ "Hello," I said with a smile. Then I held up my cellphone, which had recorded the whole thing. "Do you know what this is?"_

_ His eyes widened, staring at the screen of my phone, still recording. I nodded slowly. "Now what would happen if the principal saw this? Or your parents? They wouldn't be too happy, now would they?"_

_ The other bullies had seen the phone too and mirrored their leader's astonished and terrified face._

_ "Now, if I ever find out that you bullied someone, not just Mikiya or Mina, then I'll put this video on Youtube. Then I'll go talk to the principal and then your parents. Do you know what would happen then?"_

_ Lead bully nodded furiously. It seemed my point had been taken._

_ I smiled. "Good. Then I hope to never speak to you again." I put my phone away and left the rooftop._

_ And that was how we all first met._

* * *

><p>* A completely fictional region, it's really just a couple of letters smashed together.<p>

**But finally, the gang has made its appearance! Even though it's in a flashback! And can you guys guess who's who? Probably. **

**This is like seriously so cute ʕ￫ᴥ￩ ʔ Isn't that so cute? It's such a cute bear! ʕ ·ᴥ·ʔ Can't get enough of this cute bear XD So cute!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! And please review, if you're not feeling lazy, lol. And if you haven't checked out the poll yet, please do! See you guys!**


	19. Flashbacking: Recruitement Time

**Yay! Double update! I wrote so much over spring break that there are quite a few chapters piling up, waiting to be published, lol. Thanks for the follows and faves! **

**AwakenedSecrets: **Yeah! You guessed right on the people, even Ice Queen! :D Thank you for reviewing every time! ^_^

**PhoenixOtaku:** Ho ho ho, you shall see! ;D Thank you! Hope you like this chapter too!

**DreamTrance14**: Lol, yes I'm a girl, and guessing you are too? Yeah, Honey's so adorable and amazing and awesome! XD Thanks for reviewing!

**LuvPeaceCandy:** So cool! Yeah! Could you PM the links over or whatever way is most convenient for you? "But you don't have any hamsters." Lol, thank you!

**And now, ta-dah! The next chapter with even more of the gang! More Goofy, ya'll. Hope you all like it!**

* * *

><p>"So…" Honey said with a curious light in his eyes. "Who's who?"<p>

"You mean like who is 'we' right? Well that Ice Queen Barton is my best friend, you know, the one I told you about with the sleepovers. Her English name is Anna Barton, but she has a Japanese first name too. It's Akane. She's Caucasian, but her parents divorced when she was young. Her dad ended up remarrying a Japanese lady, and that's where Akane learned all her Japanese. She was living in America with her parents until they moved after elementary school. Actually, did you know, that in America sixth grade is the first year in middle school?"

"Yeah, America uses that English measurement too." Honey replied with a giggle.

"Yeah, feet and miles. America is funny." I smiled. "Anyway, earlier that was Mickey, the one that was being bullied. And Mina is Minnie. They weren't dating in middle school. It was all thanks to Akane and I that they are dating at all. We played Cupids, pulled a few strings, and got them together. They're such a cute couple."

Honey's lips curled upwards softly. I rolled onto my stomach to face him.

"What?" I asked, when he continued to watch me with that warm smile.

"I like it when you talk about your friends." He said. "You seem happy when you do." I blinked and digested his words for a moment, before a slow grin spread on my own face.

"That's cause I love them. But I like talking to you too, Mitsukuni. You're a calm presence, you know?" I rolled back onto my back.

"What else? How did you get the gang together?"

"Okay… Let's continue then…

_ The next day, I arrived at class and had to introduce myself to them. The good thing about having only one classroom is only having to do one introduction._

_ "Hello everyone, I'm Akamatsu Rika. Please take care of me." I bowed to the classroom. The class seemed excited to get a transfer student, considering it was nearly a month into the school year._

_ In my class, I identified some familiar people from the day before. The Ice Queen, Asari, and those three bullies were all in my class._

_ Akane looked at me with a calm gaze. I felt like maybe she knew who I was. The bullies certainly did. The leader gulped and immediately looked away from me. The other two ducked their heads down._

_ "Any questions for Akamatsu-san?" Anzai-sensei asked._

_ "Why did you transfer so suddenly?" One student said with a raised hand._

_ "There were some difficulties at home," I said with a smile. For some reason, that seemed to attract more attention._

_ I could hear a group of boys whispering. Their conversation ran something like this:_

_ "She's pretty cute."_

_ "Doesn't seem like your type though."_

_ "What are you talking about?"_

_ "Shut up, you guys! She can probably hear you!"_

_ A girl sitting nearby whirled around to snap at the boys. "We can _all_ hear you guys!"_

_ The boys shut up, laughing nervously and some even turning a light shade of pink. One waved at me with a cheerful grin._

_ He had simple, blond hair and light hazel eyes. He looked quite handsome, like a typical popular guy of the school._

_ I smiled back at him and waved though. I wanted to get along well with these people. There'd be little point to attend a public school with hostile classmates. But, with my vast knowledge of Shojo manga, I knew that an unpopular and/or new girl attracting the attention of the most popular boy of the school was usually bad news, for the new girl that is. Because then the new girl would be bullied by the other girls who liked the popular boy. And if the new girl showed contempt for the popular boy, she'd be bullied even further._

_ Which meant that I had to discreetly avoid the popular boy (which was my first impression of him) until I had built enough strong friendships with some girls._

_ There were five rows and six columns of desks. I was given the seat to the farest right, opposite the wall with the windows, but it was in the back. I was seated behind Akane. Two rows to my left was Asari. Two rows past him and towards the front was the leader bully, whose name I still didn't know._

_ Akane didn't glance at me as I passed her. I did greet the others though before taking my seat. Class began. It was, not surprisingly, easy. My elementary school had prepared me well._

_ During lunch, I decided that I'd talk to Akane. She was the only one that had seen me the day before after all. The maid that had been sent to take care of me, Hiraga Mariko, had made me a fancy lunch._

_ I followed Akane out of the classroom and outside, where she sat down under a Matsu pine tree to eat her own bento._

_ "Hello!" I gave her a cheerful smile._

_ "Why are you following me?" She asked in her accented Japanese. It was cute, actually._

_ "I want to be your friend. Is that okay?" I said. "May I sit here?" I pointed at the spot beside her._

_She let out a sigh. "Sure. And my Japanese isn't that bad. Just don't use any big words."_

_"Where are you from?" I sat down and pulled out my lunch._

_"America," She replied._

_ I nodded. "Do you like Japan so far then?"_

_ "It's alright." She was eating a sandwich. That was basically what our conversations were like. I'd ask a question, and then she'd give a short reply._

_ When I was returning to my classroom, a girl with shoulder-length brown hair approached me with a friendly smile. "Hey. I saw you talking to Barton-san earlier."_

_ "Yes. And you are?"_

_ "Ichikawa Noriko." She said. "Just a tip, since you're new here, avoid that Ice Queen. And avoid Asari. And, if you want to stay on the good side of the girls, stay away from Ashida-san."_

_ "Barton-san? Who's Asari and who's Ashida? And why them?" I asked. Technically, I didn't know who Asari was. We reached our classroom._

_ Asari was sitting in his seat reading. Noriko pointed at him. "That's Asari. He's a troublesome kid. If you don't want to get into any trouble, you'll be wise to avoid him. And Ashida is the boy that waved to you. He's considered the Prince of our grade, and a fair amount of girls at this school like him. I wouldn't say all, but certainly half. You either crush on him afar like all the others or you don't bother with him. Those are your only two options. Is that clear?" She crossed her arms and gazed at me._

_ "Got it." I nodded then grinned. "Thanks for the tips, Ichikawa-san."_

_ She shrugged lightly then headed towards her seat, upfront and towards the window. "Don't forget your place, Akamatsu."_

_ Pompous. That was the best way to describe her. Or maybe arrogant. When she said that to me, I was tempted to tell her that my weekly allowance money was probably more than what both her parents earned a month. Or that my parents could probably buy the entire town._

_ But the fact that she said to avoid Barton and Asari just made me more curious about them._

_ The next few weeks I spent lunch with Akane every day. I asked her questions, and eventually, we began to have a more legit conversation. I found that she liked anime, not really manga though._

_ "K-ON is good." She said once._

_ "Oh, the manga is good." I said. "They're so cute!"_

_ "Ah." She turned away with a slight nod._

_ The best way to describe Akane is that she's a tsundere. A real life tsundere! When I realized that, I spent even more time with her. I smiled and laughed all the time._

_ And it paid off._

_ The third week, Akane said. "What does your name mean?"_

_ "What? Akamatsu Rika?" I asked. "Well Akamatsu means red pine. And Rika means clever flower."_

_ Akane smiled faintly. "A red, clever pine flower."_

_ I chuckled. "Basically."_

_ "_Red_." She said suddenly. I stared at her and she glanced at me. "That's what red sounds like in English."_

_ "Wow." I grinned. "Can you teach me English?"_

_ She blinked then raised her eyebrows. "English? Why do you want to learn that?"_

_ "Just teach me how to speak it." I said, eyes widening in excitement._

_ "That's too hard." She frowned._

_ "Why not? I heard you were smart."_

_ She shrugged. "Maybe."_

_ "Hey, hey. In return, I'll help you with your Japanese." I said. Akane's reading and writing weren't the best. She'd told me before that Kanji was difficult and annoying to her._

_ Eventually she agreed._

* * *

><p>"So that's how you know English!" Honey said.<p>

I nodded, then smiled. "Yeah. Not because I went to a school abroad." I yawned. I hated waking up so early in the morning. Damn my mom for doing this to me.

"Are you hungry?" Honey asked.

"Yeah, kinda." I stretched out on his bed. It was almost one. "And tired. Oh, hey. What do you think of Mitsu-kun? Or Mitsu-chan?"

He grinned. "Sure! Come on, let's get some lunch."

We had some simple sandwiches, then returned to Honey's room. We sat on his bed to continue the trip down my memory lane.

_Ring! Ring!_

I glanced around. That was my cellphone. I fished it out of my pocket and glanced at the caller ID. It was Mickey.

"Hey," I said, taking the call.

"Hey, Captain." Mickey replied. "I'm guessing you're at a safe place?"

"Yeah, I'm at Mitsukuni's place." I replied. Honey raised an eyebrow in question and I just smiled at him.

"Wow, at the first name basis already?" Mickey laughed, causing me to blush faintly. "Anyway, that program you wanted me to write is done. How do you want to upload it?"

"Can you send it to the red notebook? I can upload it to my computer and then transfer it to a USB."

"Sure, that'll work. Just don't open the file."

"I know, I know. Come on, Mick. This isn't the first time."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Okay. I'm transferring it right now. Check to see if you get it. Just email me back."

"Alright. Thanks, Mickey."

"Anything for you, Captain."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I snapped my phone shut and then reached for my bag, which I'd brought into Honey's room.

"What was that?" Honey asked curiously, leaning back on his hands.

"Mickey," I said, pulling out my red notebook. "I asked him for a favor. Want to see my notebook?"

"Sure." He scooted closer, crossing his legs as I opened my red notebook. It looked like any kind of typical notebook. It could have been a Deathnote just with a red cover. The only difference was that it wasn't really a book that you could write in.

Inside was a blank sheet of paper. I flipped that aside to reveal a black screen, framed by yellow, lined sheets.

"Woah," Honey said.

I pressed the power button and then said with a grin, "_This is your captain speaking._"

The screen sprang to life, revealing a plain wallpaper of some flowers. Then Akane's voice rang out: "_Password_."

"Aka-ryuu."

"Red dragon?" Honey glanced at me as the screen unlocked itself to reveal the home screen. It was really just a tablet with some modifications to it. Mickey added the special procedure of unlocking it, while Goofy had been the one to fit it into a book. And, of course, Akane was the voice.

"Yeah, it was the name of our gang. We were the Red Dragons from Akawari." I grinned. "Anyway, it's really just a tablet. Mickey and Goofy made it for me."

"It's cool." He said.

I nodded, then went to find the file. Sure enough, it was there. "It's a program that's kind of like a virus, but it's controlled."

"And why do you need it?" He asked.

"Revenge," I chirped with a smile. "On the twins of course."

"Oh." He nodded slowly. Then he shrugged and flopped down onto his back with a quiet sigh. "Tell me more."

"About middle school?"

He nodded.

"Okay." I turned my tablet off. "Well, the next person I wanted to get to know was Goofy."

"What's his name?"

"Asari Ryota."

"What was he like?"

"What was he like? Well, at first, he was this cold, aloof kid that did whatever he wanted to do. He made random things with spare parts. Once he pieced together some scrap metal into a shape of a car and then made a remote control and could drive it around. And I guess you could say he was a troublemaker. He'd make random things and test them on whatever student or teacher was nearby.

Like, one time, I saw him with a strange thing that looked like a trap, like a hunting trap. It was circular and had two clamps. He set it down by a corner of the hallway once and then moved away to watch. This one poor girl turned around the corner, and her foot stepped right into that trap. It snapped right up and bam! Her foot was stuck around it. She wasn't hurt or anything. But she started screaming and jumping around, and interestingly enough, the trap didn't move. I didn't seem him nail it down or anything. Well she saw him watching and started screaming at him. It was something like: 'Of course it'd be you, Asari! You always waste your time and effort on crap like this! Now hurry up and get me out of here!' Well obviously he wasn't very happy to hear that, so he just walked away."

"Just walked away?" Honey echoed.

"Mean huh?" I let out a short laugh. "Yeah. But when I came back after the next class, the trap was gone. And I saw the girl walking around the school. So he probably freed her. And after I got to know him… Well, I guess… I'll just tell you later. Okay?"

"Okay."

"The first time I actually spoke to him was on Sports Day, which was some time in May. Before that, I didn't say much to him. I mainly spoke to Akane, Kazuki, and a few nice girls I'd met at the school library. They were this tight-knit group of four girls who'd gone to the same elementary, and they were more down-to-earth than the rest. Those girls who don't spend hours in front of a mirror, fussing over makeup or hair. The ones who don't paint their nails or gossip too much. But anyway, on Sports Day..."

_I was signed up to run the 100 meter dash, and Ryota was running it too. I'd heard he'd won the event every year in elementary school and was an excellent runner. I'd been observing him. I'm not a particularly good runner, but I decided to take the chance to talk to him._

_ He was knelt down in front of his position at the starting line, tying his shoelaces, when I approached him._

_ "Asari Ryota, right?" I smiled. "I heard you're a very good sprinter."_

_ He looked up at me and then shrugged. "Sure." He finished tying his shoelaces and stood up. I remember that he was actually shorter than me then._

_ "I'm Akamatsu Rika." I said._

_ "Cool," he said._

_ He was difficult to talk to, just like Akane. At that time, I'd thought that I just had the luck to pick two of the most difficult people._

_ "Good luck then." I smiled and nodded at him before taking my place._

_ Well, Goofy won first, but I got second._

_ He nodded at me and said, "Not bad."_

_ So after that I started talking to Ryota. The next morning, he was sitting at his desk and reading something._

_ "Hey, Asari-kun!" I waved and smiled at him._

_ He looked up and stared at me for a moment, then he finally nodded. "Hello." Then he went back to reading._

_ "What are you reading?" I peered at the book in his hand. It looked like a light novel of some sorts._

_ "None of your business," he said._

_ "How come you're always here so early though? I thought you were the delinquent type that'd be late."_

_ He snapped his book up and glared at me. "Can you shut up and leave me alone?"_

_ I frowned. "Okay. Sorry then."_

_ But the next morning, he was there, reading again. And how could I resist? I walked over to his desk with a bright smile. "Good morning, Asari-kun!"_

_ Ryota looked at me and scowled. "You again."_

_ He was such a tsundere, just like Akane. Maybe the two of them would hit it off well. I nodded. "Yup! Do you read manga by any chance?"_

_ "Yeah." He turned back to his book, holding it up close to his face. He was obviously trying to tell me to go away._

_ "What manga then? One Piece? Bleach? Naruto? Oh, have you read Bakuman before? That manga is so good!"_  
><em> "Ugh, just shut up and go away." He said, dropping his head into his book.<em>

_ "Aw, come on. I want to talk about manga to someone." I pouted. He slammed his book on his desk and glared at me._

_ "What is your problem? Just because I said something to you on Sports Day doesn't give you the permission to be all friendly to me! Just leave me alone!" He yelled._

_ I smiled. "Finally you got mad."_

_ His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that? You crazy or what?"_

_ "No. Well, actually maybe I am." I smirked. "I'm going to form a gang, Asari-kun, and I would like you to be a member."_

_ "Hell no," Ryota growled._

_ "Aw, why?" I pouted again. "You're an excellent runner, and I've seen what you can do with your hands."_

_ "What do you mean by that?" he said._

_ "I saw you set up that interesting contraption. It was a creative twist to such an original prank."_

_ His gaze was steady. "What are you talking about?"_

_ "The day before I transferred. It was sometime in early April, and, on the roof, you set up a little trick to help out those three bullies."_

_ "How did you see that?" He asked._

_ I grinned. "Maybe I'll tell you, if you join."_

_ "What makes you think I want to join some stupid thing like a gang? Don't you know we have enough in this area? Besides, we'd just get the hell beaten out of us by all the others ones." He turned away stubbornly._

_ "Do you think I'd want to form a gang just to be beat up? I know what's going on at this town, Asari, and I'd like to change it. What do you say?"_

_ "No thanks." He said._

_ "Just think about it," I told him, before returning to my seat. That day, I also decided to ask Akane to join. She was quite friendly to me by then and would even occasionally start a conversation by herself._

_ "Hey, Akane-san, do you know about all the gangs in this area?" I asked her during lunch._

_She nodded. "This place is pretty dangerous."_

_"I'm going to form a gang." I said. She looked at me, an alarmed look in her face. "Would you like to join?"_

_Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"_

_"Why? Well, I guess you could say I'm bored. And why not? Besides, you're a good fighter. I'm a good fighter. We could easily beat up these lame gangs."_

_"How do you know I can fight?" She asked._

_"I saw you." I replied simply._

_"Two people wouldn't be a very strong gang though."_

_"Is that a yes?" I turned to her with excitement. Maybe my eyes were even shining. "Don't worry! I'm already scouting out others! There are lots of interesting people at this school with interesting talents."_

_"Like who?" She asked wearily. But I did notice that she didn't deny my question._

_I sat back against the tree. "Asari-kun."_

_"Oh." She shrugged. "I suppose. But three people still isn't enough. There are gangs out there with hundreds of members."_  
><em> "..."<em>

_She glanced at me and then sighed. "You didn't know that?"_

_"No! I'm sorry. I didn't do much research!" I cried out, clutching my head in panic. Hundreds? That sounded more like yakuza than an ordinary gang!_

_"Pfft."_

_Akane was smiling. Actually, she was laughing. She was so cute with that smile that I couldn't help but smile too._

_"You're so cute when you smile, Akane-san!" I told her with a grin._

_"Wh-What? No I'm not!"_

_Haha, what a tsundere._

_ This day was also the day that I chanced upon Mina and Yuuta. I was walking back home when I heard a little boy yelling._

_ "Get down here you stupid, fat cat!" He was a scrappy little kid with short black hair, and he was standing under a tall tree yelling upwards._

_ I looked up and saw a cat sitting on a branch far above, mewing contentedly. It didn't seem like it wanted to come down anytime soon._

_ "Argh! Come down you dumb cat!" He yelled, stomping his feet on the ground in frustration. Then he grabbed the tree trunk and tried to shake it. The tree didn't budge. I smiled. He was a cute kid. I was about to help him when a familiar girl stepped towards the boy before me._

_ "Do you need some help?" Long and wavy black hair. It was Mina._

_ The boy stared at her and then pointed up at the cat. "Make this stupid thing come down." I moved a bit to the side to get a better view of the situation._

_Mina was frowning. "Don't call the cat a stupid thing. A boy or a girl?"_

_"A girl, I think." The boy replied._

_"Well you shouldn't call her a thing," Mina replied. "I'll get her down from there. Here, hold my school bag."_

_"It's not my cat, so I don't care." The boy said with a scowl, taking the school bag._

_"Whose is it then?" She stared up at the tree._

_It was not an easy tree to climb. First off, it's lowest branch was quite high off the ground. It couldn't be reached easily. She'd probably have to jump, and even then, she might not make it. Secondly, the branches were quite steep, tilted at a ridiculous angle. The cat was nestled farther out along a branch, between several thinner ones._

_"My neighbor's. I didn't even want to take care of it. It's so annoying. Stupid old lady."_

_Mina stretched her arms out below the lowest branch. It looked like it was a full two and a half heads taller than her. She bent down and then jumped up, grabbing onto the branch. She hung there for a moment, swinging her legs back and forth to build up momentum._

_Then she swung her legs up, hooking them onto the branch._

_Uh… At that time, I'd been worried about the fact that was wearing a skirt. Luckily, she had shorts underneath._

_"Aiya!" They boy yelled, backing away and covering his eyes. "Come on, Onee-san, did you have to do that?"_

_"Sorry!" Mina called, as she pulled herself up onto the branch. Then she stood up, grabbing onto a nearby branch._

_The next moment, she was climbing through the branches quickly and agilely. It was amazing. It looked like she was dancing among the branches. She pulled herself up, twisted and maneuvered her way towards the cat. When she finally reached the branch, she let out a sigh._

_"Come on, kitty." She said, extending a hand. The cat just stared at her._

_"It's not a kitty! That's an old cat you're talking to!" The boy yelled from below._

_"Meow!" The cat said as if trying to refute the boy's statement._

_"Come on, kitty." Mina said patiently._

_The cat stood and then slowly walked over to Mina's open arms. I watched as a slow smile bloomed over her face. She sat there on the bench for a while, petting the cat with a soft smile._

_"Oi! Hurry up, Onee-san!" The boy yelled. Really, he was such a brat._

_"Okay, okay." Mina picked the cat up with one arm. Her other arm was used to support her as she made her way down. On the lowest branch, she knelt and then hopped off the branch, landing neatly._

_"Here you go," Mina said, handing the cat over to the boy. "Take better care of her, okay?"_

_"How many times do I have to tell you that this thing isn't mine?" The boy yelled._

_"Okay, okay." Mina's smile seemed strained. She took back her schoolbag._

_"Thanks, Onee-san!" Then the boy ran away._

_ After seeing her climbing abilities, I decided that maybe Mina would be a good member of the gang._

_ "Hm?"_

_ Mina stood in front of me, blinking curiously. "You're a student at my school, aren't you? What are you doing here?"_

_ Oops, she'd caught me watching the whole scenario._

_ I smiled and bowed. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Akamatsu Rika. I transferred this semester."_

_ "Ah!" Mina bowed quickly too. "Nice to meet you too! Uh, I'm Katsushika Mina!"_

_ "You're really good at climbing trees, Katsushika-san." I said with a smile._

_ "Eh? O-Oh, you saw that did you? Hehe, not really." She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck._

_ "How did you learn to do that? It was really cool." I said._

_ "Oh, well I do gymnastics, and I like climbing things." She chuckled nervously. "I guess it just happened? A-Anyway, I have to go!" She glanced around. "Um, it was really nice to meet you and talk to you." She bowed quickly._

_ I nodded and waved. "Bye."_

_ "Bye-bye!" Then she quickly walked away._

_ It's really interesting how this world works._

* * *

><p><strong>BIG QUESTION HERE: Do you guys want an episode of when the Host Club goes to <strong>Karuizawa? You know, during summer break Haruhi goes there and there's the <em>refreshing!<em> battle and the "date" with Hikaru? Please respond about this! It'll really make the decision for a coming chapter.**_**  
><strong>_**

****And please review! Thanks for reading! :)****


	20. Flashbacking: We Create a Club

Sorry everyone for the delay! D:

Oh and I recently read a manga called Cat Street. It's a shojo manga and it's really good! It's deep and emotional and it really teaches you about how to pick yourself up, put your past behind you, and keep moving on! And how to go out and find your own happiness. :D Super good. Not that much of romance but great character development! ^_^

**PhoenixOtaku: **Lol okay, thanks for the idea! :D And thank you for reading and reviewing! What's your favorite manga/anime by the way?

**QueenOfDarkHearts:** Yeah well he's a tsundere, lol :P And what do you mean by referring Mina as his sister? Do you mean Yuuta? I'm confused here... Okay! I'll keep things as canon as it can be. Thanks for reviewing! :D

**AwakenedSecrets:** Of course there's something planned if I do Karuizawa, mwahaha! ;) Thank you so much!

**DreamTrance14**: Okay! Lol, nice suggestion. I'm 15, uh-huh. ^-^ And thank you for reviewing!

**iiAnimeLover:** Yeah, but maybe not with Hikaru but with someone else... if you know what I mean :D

**guest:** Hello! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Haha, the last chapter was better because my betareader looked over it for me! :D Thanks for your feedback too!

**articwolfgirl347: **Lol, why Fruits Basket exactly? :) Thank you for your review and feedback! Hope you like this chapter too.

**Hey everyone, I do have a betareader now. It's These Crimson Eyes of Mine. She also has a few Ouran fanfics. You should go check them out :D And now, the chapter... Hope you guys like it!**

* * *

><p>"Who's Yuuta?" Honey asked.<p>

"Hm, he's four years younger than me, and he's Goofy's little brother. Asari Yuuta. I thought he was such a brat when I first met him, but actually, he was so skinny. And he just always looked like he'd tripped and fell to the ground. I don't know like always roughed up a bit. You could tell he didn't have an easy life."

"What was his life like then?"

"Difficult. Bad. Goofy's parents were divorced. His dad had left them when they were young. His mom worked very hard to raise the two of them. They didn't have much money. And his mom had her own troubles. She didn't care too much about her sons. She was rarely home." I sighed. "It's a depressing story."

"Mmm."

_ "Well, that evening, I spent hours on the computer, researching on all the gangs in the area. There was an interesting mix of gangs. Most of them were just a bunch of high schoolers that liked to fight and mess around the town. There was one biker gang that rode through town on their motorcycles, yelling and throwing trash at people. There were three gangs that were led by adults but they actually didn't do much. They protected their territory and that was about it._

_ So in the end, the most trouble would be the high schoolers._

_ I also found that the gangs hadn't always been in the town. They started popping up in the last one or two years. Before, the area had been quite peaceful. But now, if you walked around town alone, it was highly likely that you'd get mugged by whatever nearby gang._

_ Then I went through the school's database, searching for other students to join the gang. They'd have to be people with interesting and useful talents and ones that could keep a secret._

_ The next day, I didn't say anything to Ryota._

_ Lunch time, I told Akane about seeing Mina climb the tree. "It was really cool! And I think she could totally join us." I said. "We'll form a club first, of course."_

_ "Ah, but I think Mina-san is already in a club." Akane said._

_ "She is? Which one?"_

_ "The drama club, I think."_

_ "Hm… So she knows how to act?" I turned to Akane for the answer._

_She just shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"_

_ "Okay. Hey, hey, Akane-san. This weekend, do you want to go out with me?"_

_ "Wh-What?" She whipped around at me with wide eyes and a faint blush. Her ears were turning red._

_ "I heard there's a really nice arcade in town! We should go check it out. What do you think?"_

_ "Oh." She let out a quiet sigh. "Sure." She smiled._

_ After lunch, I peeked into class 1-A, the one that Mina was in. She was sitting in her seat talking quite cheerfully to a few other girls._

_ "Um, excuse me."_

_ I moved to the side to let the kid behind me enter the room. It was Mikiya. He glanced at me curiously, probably wondering what in the world I was doing in front of the door._

_I smiled at him. Then I grabbed the back of his shirt abruptly._

_"Ah?!" He yelped, as I pulled him back into the hallway. There was still ten minutes until class started._

_"Yasuda Mikiya, right?" I asked, letting go of his shirt. I bowed. "Akamatsu Rika, it's nice to meet you!"_

_"Uh, uh, yeah." He smiled nervously. "N-Nice to meet you too." Then he bowed quickly. His manner was a lot like Mina's actually._

_"Sorry for that, I just wanted to talk to you." I said._

_"Eh, oh it's okay." He replied, chuckling. I could see why he was bullied. He was so easy to push around. Why didn't he stand up for himself some more?_

_"I was wondering what you can do." I crossed my arms._

_"Wh-What? Me?" He pointed at himself. He glanced around at the passing students. He definitely lacked confidence._

_"Who else?" I smiled. "What are you good at doing, Yasuda-san?"_

_ "Nothing really," He looked down at his clean shoes. I'd looked into his file. He came from a middle-class family. He was an only child. It didn't seem like he had any family troubles either._

_ "Computers?" I suggested._

_He looked at me, eyes as wide as saucers. "Wha? Why would- how co-"_

_"You've lived here all your life, haven't you, Yasuda-san?" I said. When he nodded, I continued. "What do you think of this town? Falling apart just because of a few gangs that mess around. Most of them are just high schoolers who've lost their aim in life. What a pathetic place. It's so weak that it can't even handle a few delinquents."_

_"What are you talking about?" He mumbled. His bangs covered his eyes in a very manga-like way, casting a shadow so it was hard to see those bright green eyes._

_"What?" I said, tilting my head at an angle. "I don't think I heard you, Yasuda-san."_

_"You don't anything about this town!" He yelled suddenly, glaring at me. "It's not a pathetic place! It's a great town! It's just cause of those stupid gangs that ruin everything! You don't understand how difficult it is for the police to get them!"_

_I smirked. "And you do?"_

_"You're new to this place! You don't know anything!" He pointed a finger at me. "So don't go around talking as if you do!"_

_"Mikiya! What are you doing?" Mina had ran out of the classroom. Her eyes widened when she recognized me. "A-Ah! Aka-Akamatsu-san!"_

_"Do you want to change this town then, Yasuda-san?" I leaned towards him. "Do you want to get rid of those gangs?"_

_His eyes narrowed. "I would, if I could."_

_"Well you can," I smiled, holding out a hand. "Join me, and we'll bring down those gangs. Your talents in programming and with technology will come in use."_

_Mina gasped. "What are you talking about? Join you in what?" She grabbed Mickiya's arm. "Mikiya isn't joining something weird like that!"_

_"Ah, Katsushika-san, I've been meaning to talk to you about this too." I smiled. "Your climbing skills and your acting skills will be important. Don't you want to change this town too?"_

_"Not in the way that you want to!" She yelled._

_"What are your plans?" Mikiya asked quietly_

_"Don't you dare, Mikiya!" Mina said, shaking his arm._

_"We should at least hear her out." He replied, with a determined look in his eyes. She frowned, eyebrows creased in a cute, worried way. She was so easy to read._

_Some of the students had been staring at us for some time. We had been yelling, so of course we'd attract some attention._

_I stepped closer towards them and lowered my voice to a whisper, "Let's form our own gang, Yasuda and Katsushika. Of course there will be others. But, imagine this! Once we defeat every one of the gangs, they'll have to answer to us."_

_"Are you crazy?!" Mina shrieked, stepping back. "We'll be beat up!"_

_ Mickey hadn't moved, so I spoke to him instead. "Don't worry. The Ice Queen is going to be a part of this. And you've seen her skills. She's strong, but I'm stronger. With our strength, we'll be able to crush the other gangs."_

_"Don't even think about it, Mikiya!" Mina hissed. "Come on, let's go to class now."_

_"Just think about it, Yasuda-san." I called after them cheerfully. "I'm in Class 1-B if you ever need to find me."_

_Then I went to my own class feeling rather happy. I had no doubt that Mickey would come and find me, just like how I knew Goofy would come too._

"Hm.. I didn't expect that that Mickey would have a side like that to him." Honey mused. He smiled.

"Well Mickey can be surprisingly short-tempered. He and Minnie grew up in that town. They love the place." I smiled. "And it is a nice place, actually."

_ Ring! Ring!_

"Another phone call?" Honey sat up, while I picked up the call.

"Rika-sama." Ah, it was Azumi. "Just how long do you intend to stay at the Haninozuka home?"

"Isn't Mom coming back a few days from now?" I asked in return.

Azumi sighed. "Yes. She's on a short business trip in Taiwan and will be back in three days."

"Then it's fine if I spend all day here, isn't it?"

"I can not answer such a question, Rika-sama." She sighed again. "Very well. Please do not burden the Haninozuka family too much."

"Yes. Yes. Thank you, Azumi."

I hung up after that. I still didn't want to go back to the house. Since Mom wasn't there I didn't really have to be there. If Mom was at the house, she'd expect me to spend all my time there. What a crazy, demanding lady. Sheesh.

"Do you want to stay over today?" Honey asked.

"Can I?" I tried not to bounce in happiness. It was always nice to stay over at Honey's place. Was I the first girl to sleep in his room? I blushed at the thought. And I've even slept with Honey! Oh wait, that sounds kind of wrong...

He nodded. "Of course! You're always welcome here!"

I grinned and then hugged him impulsively. "Thanks a lot!"

"Besides, you don't want anyone to find out about your hand, right?" He pointed at my heavily bandaged and casted left hand.

"Oh right, I nearly forgot about that." I sighed lying down. "Well, I guess the next part is when we formed the club...

_"Asari-kun," I approached Ryota at the end of the week with a smile. "So what's your answer?"_

_ He glared at me with a frown. "You're really persistent you know."_

_"Um-hm! And I'll keep bothering you until you join!"_

_"Which means I have no choice?" He replied with a deadpanned look._

_I nodded. "Yup!"_

_For a tsundere like Ryota, it'd be hard to get him to agree. So feigning stubbornness and forcing him was really the only way._

_ He sighed and buried his head into his arms. "Ugh. Who else is going to be a part of this?"_

_ I smirked, placing a hand on his desk. "Akane and Yasuda."_

_ "What?" He jerked his head up. "Yasuda the nerd?"_

_ "That's not a nice thing to say," I replied, crossing my arms._

_ He scoffed. "I hate him." He said quietly. That was surprising. I thought he'd have neutral feelings for Mikiya. If anyone had a right to hate someone, it'd be Mikiya, since he'd been bullied so much. "How come?"_

_ "He's an idiot! He doesn't know how to stand up for himself!" Ryota said, glaring at his desk angrily while running a hand through his tangled mess of hair._

_ "He just lacks confidence. You can help him with that."_

_ "Who wants to help an idiot like that? He should figure things out himself!" Ryota frowned. "Ah! Whatever. Anyway, that's not enough people!"_

_ "I'm an extremely skilled martial artist, Asari-kun. And you've seen Akane-san's skills. The two of us should be enough for now. Add you, and we'll be fine."_

_ "I don't want a part in this!" He smacked his desk._

_ "Just show up for our first meetings and the first fight. That's all I ask. For now." I smiled and headed towards my desk. "Thanks, Asari-kun."_

_ He stared at me with a hard gaze, then looked away with another click of his tongue. Ah, what a tough guy to crack._

_ Mikiya had easily come to me, saying that he'd like to join. He hated the way the town was nowadays. With him on our side, I was sure Mina would come soon._

_ After lunch, I hovered around Class 1-A's doorway._

_ "Uh, Akamatsu-san, what are you doing?" Mikiya asked, watching me worriedly._

_ "Waiting for Katsushika-san to come find me," I replied with a smile. I followed him into the classroom. Mina was there with her friends again. She looked at me with suspicion and anxiety. She quickly left her friends' side to Mikiya's._

_ "What are you doing, Mikiya?" Mina whispered, trying to pull him away from me._

_ I smiled. "Katsushika-san, please join us." God, her last name was such a pain to pronounce every single time._

_ "No way!" She said, pouting slightly._

_ "Yasuda-san has already agreed." I replied._

_ Her eyes widened, and she spun on him. "Is that true, Mikiya? Why would you? I thought we agreed-"_

_ "But I want to change this place!" He leaned towards her suddenly. "Barton-san will be a part of this! You've seen her skills!"_

_ "And you believe her?" Mina asked in an almost pleading manner._

_ "Yes!" Mikiya said fiercely. Then his gaze softened. "Please, Mina, we could really use your skills too. And…" He blushed slightly, looking down at his feet. "I'd feel better if you were there too."_

_ She blushed too. "B-But, Mikiya, it's dangerous!"_

_ "Sorry to interrupt," I said. "But how about this? Participate in the first challenge, and then you can decide whether you want to join or not."_

_ Mina eyebrows were so creased, I felt like they'd fall off. "But!"_

_ "Please Mina," Mikiya said._

_ She bit her lip, debating. Then she sighed quietly. "Fine. B-But, just for the first one!"_

_ I grinned, nodding. "Great! Thanks a lot, Katsushika!" Then I sauntered out of their classroom, feeling very happy and relieved._

* * *

><p><em> "Akane-san, let's form a club!"<em>

_ "I thought we were forming a gang."_

_ "Yeah, but first, we need a club!"_

_ "Okay."_

_ I loved Akane's chill attitude. She took everything calmly and judged things fairly._

_ "So what should we call it then?"_

_ "What's the purpose of this club?" She asked, glancing at me._

_ "Well, it'll just be for our gang, but we need a club. I don't know. We need an excuse to spend our club activities wandering around outside of the school. Like… exploring!" I threw my arms in the air happily._

_ "Exploring what?"_

_ "The town of course!" I replied, starting to eat. "I guess we'll be town explorers or something like that. What do you think?"_

_ "I don't care." She shrugged._

_ "Then we'll be Town Explorers!"_

_ "Okay." Akane smiled softly._

_ Later, we met up with Mikiya, Mina, and a highly reluctant Ryota in classroom 1-B after school._

_ "Why is he here?" Mina demanded, pointing at Ryota._

_ "He'll be useful," I said with a shrug._

_ "But!" Mina glared at Ryota. Then glanced at Mikiya worriedly._

_ "Don't worry." I waved my hand around lazily. "Just throw the past into the past and forget about it."_

_ "That doesn't make any sense at all, Rika-san." Akane said bluntly._

_ "What? It doesn't?!" I asked. "Okay, whatever. Anyway, we're going to form a club. And that club will be our gang."_

_ "What, uh, kind of club?" Mikiya asked._

_ "We'll be the Town Explorers!" I declared dramatically._

_ "The hell?" Ryota muttered._

_ "Look, it's a great excuse for us to be spending our club time outside!" I tried to explain. "It's a great idea, don't you think? Besides, no one else will really want to join, right? And we don't want just anyone to join."_

_ "If you don't want anyone to join, just let us be the Astronomy Club or something geeky like that." Ryota said._

_ "But what if a teacher asks us what we do?" I shot back. "We'd have to show that we looked at stars, and we'd need telescopes for that right?"_

_ "You can look at stars without telescopes." Mikiya said._

_ "Okay, fine." I sighed. "You guys win. Sheesh. What club are we going to be then?"_

_ "Does it matter?" Akane asked._

_ "Not really," Mina said quietly._

_ "Exactly!" I yelled, pointing in the air._

_ "Guess we'll be some lame explorers then." Ryota sighed._

_ "Why are you even here?" Mina asked with a glare. "You obviously don't want to be."_

_ "I forced him to." I replied._

_ "Why though?" She turned to me with the glare._

_ "Because he's great with his hands," I said. "We could use his talents, you know. Besides, he can probably throw a few good punches."_

_ She pouted, biting her lower lip in a super adorable way._

_ "Gah! You're so cute, Mina-san!" I squealed. I couldn't help it. Her pouting face was just too cute._

_ "The fuck?" Ryota mumbled._

_ "Can you please not swear so much?" Mina asked irritably. She could be surprisingly very hostile._

_ "Sorry," I said with an apologetic smile. "I like cute things, and Mina just looked really cute. Sorry, can I just call you Mina-san? Your last name is really long."_

_ Mina smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It's fine."_

_ "Hey," Akane said. "I don't know anyone here, Rika-san. Except Asari."_

_ "It's Asari Ryota." Ryota said, pointing at himself. "Can't you remember my first name too?"_

_ "Katsushika Mina." Mina bowed._

_ "Yasuda Mikiya." Mikiya bowed too. Those two were brought up on such good manners. They must be neighbors or something, most likely childhood best friends._

_ "Mickey?" Akane asked, tilting her head in confusion._

_ "No, Mikiya." Mina corrected._

_ "It sounds like Mickey." Akane said._

_ "Like Mickey Mouse?" I asked. She glanced at me and then nodded._

_ She stared at Mikiya and Mina and then smiled in that sweet way of hers. Then she started laughing quietly. "It's Mickey and Minnie!"_

_ "Huh?" The rest of us said, obviously startled by her response._

_ "Mickey," She pointed at Mikiya. "And Minnie." She pointed at Mina, still smiling._

_ "Oh!" I said, nodding. "I see it too."_

_ "See what?" Ryota asked._

_ Mikiya and Mina exchanged somewhat confused glances. "Uh, what?" Mikiya said, turning back to Akane._

_ "Can I just call you Mickey and Minnie?" Akane asked._

_ "Oh brilliant!" I said, smacking my fist into my open palm._

_ "What?" Ryota said._

_ "Code names!" I grinned widely. "We need code names, right?"_

_ "No we don't." Ryota replied quickly. I scowled at him, but he maintained his blank, slightly annoyed look._

_ "Yes, we do." I said stubbornly, crossing my arms. "What kind of gang would we be without code names?"_

_ "Someone's watched _way_ too many spy movies." Ryota said quietly._

_ "Stop raining on my parade, Asari-kun!" I yelled, flailing my arms in frustration. "Just agree with me for like five seconds, jeez!"_

_ He frowned and shrugged._

_ "Code names, huh?" Mikiya asked, looking tired. "Ah, whatever. Do what you want. I just want to hurry up and start."_

_ "You're Mickey. You're Minnie." Akane pointed at the two. Then she turned to me. "And you can be our Captain _Red_."_

_ "Captain what?" Mina repeated._

_ "_Red_." Akane replied._

_ "It's English for the word red." I said._

_ "Oh, Barton-san is American, isn't she?" Mina asked, looking awed. She smiled. "That's so cool!"_

_ Akane shook her head. "Call me Akane. Or… _Anna_."_

_ "_Anna_?" That was the first time I'd heard of it._

_ She nodded. "It's my English name."_

_ "It sounds pretty!" Mina said cheerfully. "Is that going to be your code name then?"_

_ "That's a great idea, Mina-san!" I grinned, giving her a thumbs-up._

_ "And you," Akane turned her gaze to Ryota. "You…"_

_ "How about Baka?" Mina suggested, staring at Ryota with distaste._

_ "Shut up, Minnie Mouse!" Ryota snapped back with a glare. She made a face and stuck her tongue out._

_ "Ah! Donald Duck!" Akane snapped her fingers, as if she were suddenly struck with a brilliant idea._

_ "Donald Duck?!" Everyone else said._

_ "Mickey Mouse characters," Akane shrugged._

_ "No way!" Ryota said, shaking his head. "You are not going to call me Donald Duck."_

_ "Then Goofy?" Akane asked._

_ "Yeah, Goofy really fits him. He's as Goofy as a block of cheese can get." Mina said drily. Ryota glared at her._

_ "Shut up!"_

_ "Please stop," I said, raising my hands._

_ Mikiya nodded. "Please try and get along, you guys."_

_ Mina crossed her arms. "I'm trying to stand up for you, Mikiya."_

_ "I don't need you to." Mikiya replied._

_ Here goes…_

_ "Shut up!" Akane shouted, slamming her fist on a nearby desk. Mina squeaked in surprise and possible terror. "We were working on code names! And making a club! Leave your stupid fighting elsewhere!"_

_ "Ice Queen got mad." Ryota said with a sigh._

_ "Akane-san's right. If we fight amongst ourselves, we'll lose." I said. "Let's work together for our common goal, okay?"_

_ "What common goal? I was forced to be here." Ryota grumbled, shooting me a deadly glare._

_ "Exactly!" Mina yelled, pointing at Ryota angrily. "He doesn't want to be here, so he shouldn't be here."_

_ "Wait!'" I held up a hand to silence the rest of her protests. "I understand your concerns, Mina-san. But please, Asari-kun will be really useful. You can't expect Akane-san and I to beat up the entire gang by ourselves."_

_ "Then I'll fight!" Mina replied, putting a hand on her chest._

_ "No, you won't." Mikiya said, turning to her._

_ She glared at him. "What right do you have to-"_

_ "Please stop!" I said, waving my arms around. Agh, it was all going to the dump like this! Disastrous! This first meeting was so disastrous! "Just bear with it for now. Things will change. Please believe in that, Mina-san."_

_ We stared at each other for a moment. Then she sighed and reluctantly nodded. "I'm sorry for getting mad."_

_ "It's fine." I nodded. "Anyway, let's just continue. Once we make a legit club, we'll go on our first challenge. Akane and I will deal with making a club, but we'll need a good clubroom. Somewhere others won't just wander to. Somewhere people can't easily overhear our conversations."_

_ The others shrugged._

_ I sighed. "Try to think of a good place for that, can you?"_

_ "I suppose the roof wouldn't be a bad place." Mikiya said._

_ "Anyway, just write your names on this paper." I held the sheet out to them. It already had Akane and my name on it. The three scribbled their names on quickly. I smiled at the sight. "Good! We'll be an official club soon! Come on, Akane-san, let's go talk to the teachers."_

_ She nodded and we said farewell to the other three, then left to create our very own club. We got the school's approval. The next day, Mina came to Class 1-B in the morning and told us about a great place to be our clubroom._

_ Akane, Mikiya, Mina, and I went to the check out the place. It was a small, old storage room that was hidden between the sports equipment room and the school. Not a lot of people knew about it, since it was really just full of old, dusty stuff. We got permission to use the place. So we cleaned the place up, shoved the stuff to the back, brought in a table and some chairs, and there was our room._

_ The next few days, we spent our club activities exploring the town. Mikiya and Mina gave Akane and I a thorough tour of the place. Ryota tagged along sometimes, but most of the time he'd just mutter snarky, negative comments._

_We had just the minimum amount of members to form a club. And then, we sent out our first challenge._

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><p><strong>There was a lot of bickering between Mina and Ryota huh? I'm going to try and wrap up the flashbacking in the next two chapters, hopefully, so that we can finally get to the date! I've been looking forward to that chapter lol. <strong>

**Any opinions on Karuizawa? That chapter is quite a LONG ways from now so things can always be changed.**

**By the way, this story isn't even half way through yet! Maybe like a third through... or maybe even less. Is that good news to you guys? **

**And please review!**

**Sorry once again for the delay! Thanks for reading!**


	21. Flashbacking: The First Challenges

**Tutturu! Another chapter! Thanks again for all the follows and faves everyone! And, of course, special uber thanks to the reviewers. You guys are awesome! I love you all! :D **

**AP testing is coming up though... T_T Whyyy?**

**AwakenedSecrets: **Girl, you need to get some sleep. Jk :P Glad you liked it! Thanks for your continued support! I love your so enthusiasm! :D There's a bit of fluff here, sorta.

**articwolfgirl347Z: **THANK YOU SO MUCH for this great criticism and feedback! I hope you'll continue to read and please share all your opinions! Do you think I should have a small "this happened last chapter" sort of summary thing before each chapter? Kind of to refresh the readers' memories?

**Karnevalfreak59: **Hello friend! Thanks for reviewing and reading! :) Hope you like this chapter too!

**PhoenixOtaku: **Yes! Taiwan is an amazing place! Except it sucks right now with all the stupid political crap with that trade deal with China and everything :( I love Taiwan. My parents are from there. Is that the same for you too?

**DreamTrance14: **Thanks for the review! :D Yup, this flashbacking business will be over soon. Phew, lol.

**LuvPeaceCandy: **Welcome back! That's so cool that you have friends like that! :) Best friends are awesome, right?

**Nic7C: **Yeah! Isn't Cat Street so amazing? Thank you so much for the review! ^_^ Go fluffiness! Hope you like this chapter too!

**Auburn: **Hello! Thank you for the review! :D Here's the chapter! Hope you like it! :)

**T for some serious language. Hope you guys like this chapter!**

* * *

><p>"It was against the Akawari High gang. It's the high school Mickey, Minnie, Akane, and Goofy all go to right now."<p>

"Oh, Kyoya did say that." Honey said, nodding in recollection.

"Yeah. They were a pretty small group compared to other ones. They didn't bother the other gangs. They just terrorized the high school and middle school. Mikiya suggested them first, since once news got out that we were a gang, they'd come and pick on us first, right? Since we were technically a gang in their 'area,' which is the Akawari schools.

So we all agreed. Ryota didn't care. Akane didn't. I didn't. We all just wanted to get started. We were sitting in our clubroom…

_Mikiya slapped the piece of paper in front of me. "There! What do you think, Akamatsu-san?"_

"_You can just call me Rika," I said, picking the paper up. I wasn't used to being called Akamatsu anyway._

_He'd written, in very nice handwriting, "We are the Akawari Middle School gang, and we challenge you, the Akawari High gang, to a fight. If we win, you and your gang will submit to us. No weapons allowed. If any are used, you automatically forfeit. The loser side maintains the right to challenge again. We will meet 7 PM in front of Akawari High tomorrow."_

"_So? What do you think...uh, Rika-san?" Mikiya asked, fidgeting in front of me. Akane came over and read it over my shoulder._

"_That means 'weapons.'" I said, pointing at the kanji for it._

_She nodded, continuing to read quietly. I handed it over to her, and Ryota came to read it too. "Looks good to me. Now we just have to deliver it." I turn to Mina, who had been sitting next to Mikiya._

_She pointed at herself. "Me? You want me?"_

_"You're going to be our spy for now." I told her with a smile. "Since you know how to act. You're fast, right? You can escape by yourself fine, right?"_

_"I-I suppose," She said, looking away worriedly._

"_Are you sure you want to do this, Mina?" Mikiya asked. "You don't have to. Let me do it!" He turned to me with pleading eyes._

"_No." Mina shook her head. "Let me do it. It's the least I can do to help you guys, right?" Our gazes met. Her brown eyes were lit in fiery determination. I liked the look. "I mean, you promise, right, Akamatsu-san? In the end, you'll bring peace to this town, right?"_

"_Yes. I promise." I held out my hand. She stood, understanding the meaning, and we shook hands. "It'll take a while though."_

_Mina smiled, looking extremely relieved. "I think we have time. Okay, hand me the letter. Let's do this!"_

_Mikiya was the one who suggested a camera. He took a webcam and tried to place it somewhere on Mina where it wouldn't be too obvious but could have a good view. Eventually, Ryota got too fed up watching Mikiya running in circles._

_He snatched the webcam out of Mikiya's hands. "Geez, you idiot! You can't just stick a webcam to her! Don't you know you'd need to connect it to your computer?"_

"_Ah!" Mikiya slapped a hand to his forehead. "You're right."_

_Ryota reached into his school bag and pulled out a tiny screwdriver. He sat down and began taking apart the webcam._

"_What are you doing?" Mikiya asked, leaning on the table to get a better view._

"_Modifying it," Ryota replied. He was concentrating quite intensely. He held out a hand. "Tweezers."_

_The room fell silent as everyone else stood, unsure of what to do. He looked up, frowned, and then sighed. With one hand, he pulled a tweezer out of his school bag and began working._

"_Do you have a bluetooth on your computer?"_

"_Yes." Mikiya said._

"_Good. Anyone have some string?" Ryota asked._

"_Uh, I can go to the home ec classroom and get some!" Mina piped up._

_He glanced at her with a calm and serious face. "Get something that you'd feel comfortable with around your neck. Make sure it's pretty long too."_

_"Okay!" She nodded and dashed out of the clubroom._

"_Asari's good." Akane said simply, watching with her arms crossed._

"_I heard that." Ryota called._

"_That was a compliment, you know." I replied. He fell silent. Then he picked up his school bag and pulled a small container out. _

"_What is that?" Mikiya asked, watching curiously. _

"_A bluetooth chip I upgraded," Ryota said, as he began installing whatever tiny thing had been in his hands. "It has a much greater range than the usual ones."_

"_Amazing!" Mikiya's eyes were so wide, glittering with awe and passion._

"_You made a good choice." Akane said quietly, as we stood side by side. "In picking him." I beamed, nodding, but I hadn't expected Ryota to help out so soon._

"_I'm back!" Mina yelled, bursting in. She was holding a thick thread of dark blue fabric. "Will this work, uh, Asari-san?"_

_He took it from her with barely a glance. "Yeah."_

_A few minutes later, it was done. He had stripped the webcam down to just the camera and hooked it to the bluetooth chip thing. Then he'd attached it to the fabric._

_Mikiya helped Mina tie the thing around her neck. "It's amazing, Asari-san! I can't believe it! Hang on there, Mina. I'll just connect the bluetooth with my computer." He sat down in front of his laptop, clicking away. "Okay!"_

"_Great!" Mina said with a smile, holding the envelope containing our challenge in her hands. _

"_Are you sure it'll be able to connect all the way to Akawari High?" Mikiya asked Ryota._

_He nodded. "Should be. We aren't that far away."_

"_Then I'm off!" Mina grinned, waving at us. We waved back._

"_Good luck," I called._

"_Keep your guard up." Akane said._

"_Be careful!" Mikiya said, watching worriedly. Ryota just nodded. I think everyone's opinions concerning Ryota changed after that. It was like everyone else understood why he was a part of the team._

_Once Mina left, the rest of us proceeded to huddle around Mikiya's laptop. We watched the shaky footage as Mina jogged toward the high school._

_It was a pretty big high school, with a wide, green school lawn, and four stories tall. It looked a lot like our middle school, just bigger, with taller and more mature students walking around._

"_Excuse me!" We heard Mina's voice come through._

"_Good, the sound is working." Mikiya grinned satisfactorily._

_Three boys who'd been standing in a circle talking turned. _

"_A middle schooler?"_

"_From Akawari too."_

"_What are you doing here?"_

"_Are you lost?"_

"_Poor girl."_

"_Do you know who the leader of the Akawari High gang is?" Mina asked in a clear and confident voice. Woo! Go Mina!_

"_Is she acting right now?" Akane asked. _

_Mikiya glanced up at her and shrugged. "I think so."_

"_Then why doesn't she just act like this normally?" Akane said. _

"_It… It's just not her." He replied, shrugging his shoulders again as he returned his attention to the screen._

"_Hah?"_

"_What do you want with those people?"_

"_Some friendly advice, little girl, stay away from them."_

"_They're dangerous."_

_Then the guys walked away without another word._

"_Hey! Wait, come back!" Mina yelled, following after. "Just tell me where I can find the leader. Please."_

_One turned around with a glare. "Leave us alone, you weirdo! No one with a right mind would try and find those people!"_

_Ryota sighed._

_I remember thinking: This might be harder than I expected. What if I'd overestimated myself and underestimated everyone else? What if we get destroyed in our first fight? Not only will I lose all my new friends, and… who knows what would happen to us if we did lose._

_Mina was persistent though. She went after a pair of girls next. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find the Akawari High gang?"_

_The girls shook their heads furiously and then hastily walked away. "Ah! Wait!"_

"_At this rate," Akane said, "she'll never find them."_

"_No." Ryota and I said at the same time. Surprised, I turned to him and our eyes met. Those dark brown eyes of his had always carried a deeper sense of knowledge and maturity. He continued: "If she keeps on asking around, the news of it will reach the gang eventually. They'll come to find her themselves."_

_It was exactly what I had been thinking._

_And that's what happened. Mina asked a few more people, but they all said they didn't know and walked away as quickly as possible._

_Then four boys came up to Mina. I don't remember their looks very well, only the fact that, at the time, they'd look terrifying. They were so much taller than Mina, that we could only see half their faces. _

"_So you're the little lost lamb who's been looking for us." The guy in the front said. "Come on. We'll bring you to our boss."_

_Mina followed the guys to a room on the top floor of the school. It was an empty classroom, with the desks pushed to the sides. The "boss" sat in a small couch in the center of the room. I can still remember the nasty smirk on his face._

"_What do you want from us, little lamb?" The boss asked, leaning forward. His ankle was crossed over his knee, sitting in such a "cool" manner._

"_Here." We saw Mina's hand come out, holding the envelope. Her voice betrayed no sense of fear or anxiety. "For you."_

_A guy at the side grabbed the paper, and then presented it to the "boss" with a slight bow. Wow, how stupid and lame. He was probably making his members run tedious errands for him, like buying food._

_The boss dude tore the envelope open and pulled the letter out. He read it quickly and then let out a short laugh. He tossed the letter behind him. Another smart and "cool" move. "Ridiculous. You middle school kids don't know who you're messing with. Kids like you should spend your time playing in the park, not with your fists and elders. And if we win, you guys will do what we tell you to do. We'll play by the rest of your conditions, of course. We'll teach you guys that you're too young to challenge us."_

_Some of the other gang members had gathered around the letter he'd thrown behind. Some laughed, while others grinned._

"_I suppose you're this Akawari Middle School gang's cheerleader? Or their mascot? Whatever, be there tomorrow, or you guys automatically forfeit. Don't chicken out, little lamb." He grinned in a creepy way._

"_Not cheerleader or mascot," Mina said, slowly turning around the room. The webcam caught onto the many faces. There were, more or less, twenty people. _

"_Excellent." I said, grinning. "We can look up all of these people's files if we have their pictures."_

_Mikiya nodded vaguely. He was probably too worried for Mina to really care about what I said._

"_Then are you the leader? Or is this actually a one-girl gang?" The boss asked. His tone was obviously mocking and condescending._

_Scratch that about not being able to win. I suddenly felt an urge to punch this guy in the face, toss him to the floor, and then maybe dislocate his shoulder. Those were my thoughts when I heard him._

"_Nope. Actually, I'm the spy. See you guys then!" Mina said cheerfully and then ran out of the room._

"_Spy?!" We thought we heard that come from the room. "Quick! Get her! Who knows what information she got!"_

_"Argh, Mina!" Mikiya wailed. "Why did you have to say that? She's going to get hurt now!" He stood, running for the door._

_Akane grabbed the back of his shirt. "Calm down, Mickey. You'd be rather useless against them anyway. I'll go."_

"_Stay here and call us if something happens on Mina's side." I said, waving my cellphone around. Then I followed Akane out._

_I roamed our school grounds, while Akane headed in the direction of Akawari High. Eventually she came back with Mina. The two looked perfectly fine. They told me that Mina had lost them by climbing up into a tree and then coming down after the coast was clear. Akane had found her when Mina was walking back towards the school. She was definitely fit to be our spy. _

_As we were approaching the clubroom, Mikiya suddenly bolted out, yelling, "Mina!" _

"_Mikiya!" Mina said, grinning and holding her two hands up. He lurched to a stop in front of her. His green eyes were wild with panic. He placed his own two hands against hers, curling his fingers around her hand._

"_Please don't do something as reckless as that again," he said quietly, hanging his head. Akane and I both began scooting away, trying to leave the two alone._

_Mina saw us though and blushed. "Sorry, Mikiya." She replied._

_The two of us hopped back into the clubroom, where Ryota was sitting at Mikiya's laptop, typing away. "I found it." He said. He didn't even look up when the two of us came to his side. "The leader of the Akawari High gang."_

_We looked at his file, and then we scanned through some of the other members. Most of them had a rough family life. It was, after all, what usually led people astray. _

"_Nothing special it seems," I said._

_Ryota nodded. "They're kind of like us."_

"_How?" I asked._

_He jumped, as if just realizing what he'd said. "Nothing." He shook his head, turning away. Akane stared at him disapprovingly._

"_Let's go home." Akane said, grabbing her school bag. "We should rest for tomorrow."_

_I nodded, following after her. "See you tomorrow, Asari-kun." I smiled warmly at him. He stared at me for a moment, looking like he'd been caught off guard. Then he nodded, breaking our brief eye contact._

"_Bye." He said, staring at the wall._

_What a stubborn tsundere._

"Then what did Mickey mean when he said something about Ryota and jealousy at the bookstore?" Honey asked, jostling me out of my thoughts.

"Ah!" I blushed. "I'm not too sure either."

I mean, it couldn't possibly mean that Ryota liked me right? There's no way. He never gave off any kind of signs like that. Well, maybe he did? But, if he had liked me then… I'd feel so pissed off! Cause, back then...I'd liked him.

I sighed, shrugging. "Ah, who cares?" I grinned, slapping the blanket in an attempt at nonchalance.

Honey stared at me and then grinned. "Right!"

Wait, what? Did he just agree with me?

"Anyway, so the next day we showed up. Everyone had changed clothes, because it wouldn't be practical for Akane and I to fight in skirts, right?

_Then the five of us walked together to Akawari High. I'm sure we were all feeling nervous and maybe just a bit excited._

_I remember that the main thing I'd been thinking was: Should I go all out? Or should I go easy on them? I was also really nervous. What if they were stronger than I'd expected? I didn't want to lose. I didn't want my gang to get hurt._

"_Mickey, Minnie." I said, taking in a deep breath to calm myself. "No matter what, don't step into the fight. I'll tell them that you guys aren't going to fight and that they can't attack you guys."_

_Mina stared at me in concern. "Are you sure, Rika- I mean, _Red_?"_

_I nodded. "That way, if we lose - only if, we're not going to lose - you guys can help us get out of here."_

_Mikiya and Mina exchanged worried glances. Those two were such worrywarts. They always fretted over everything. _

"_We're not going to lose," Ryota said. It sounded reassuring from him. _

"_We aren't." I repeated. "I won't let that happen."_

"_Same here." Akane said, nodding. I met her soft blue eyes, and we smiled at each other, comforting the other with our presence._

"_The little lambs showed up!" Boss dude said with a laugh. "What do you know! Only five little lambs? I guess that will make the slaughter even funner!" His little minions laughed with him._

"_Funner isn't even a word." Mina muttered quietly. _

"_What did you say, Mascot Lamb?" Boss asked, tilting his head._

"_Let's just get this over with," Ryota said, taking a step forward._

"_Oh so you're the leader of this baby gang." Boss grinned. "How nice it is to meet you. I must warn you though: be prepared to lose. Don't start crying when you admit defeat."_

"_Actually," Ryota said, pointing at me. "This is our leader."_

_I stepped up next to Ryota with a pleasant smile. "Why hello there, insignificant person. Why don't we cut this stupid chatter and begin?"_

_Akane came to my side with a calm, cold look. "Do I have permission, _Red_, to punch them in the face?"_

_I smiled. "Oh, of course! Ah, but one thing." I said, projecting my voice so the other gang could hear me. "Those two over there are out of bounds. They won't fight, so you can't attack them." I pointed behind me, where Mikiya and Mina were standing farther back._

"_Out of bounds? What nonsense is that?" The boss snarled. "So you are just a mascot after all, Little Lamb!" He called to Mina._

"_We're not lambs!" Mina yelled back._

"_Then what are you? Akawari Middle?"_

_I smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."_

_The boss took a step forward. "Oh re-"_

"_Shut up!" Akane shouted, silencing everyone. "Can we just get this thing over with? I'm tired of standing here listening to this stupid talk."_

"_I agree." I smiled._

"_Same." The boss then swung his fist at me. I took a step back. Yes, it was always better for the other side to strike first._

_That way, we can always say it was in defense._

_The Akawari High gang launched itself at the three of us. I slammed my fist left and right, getting any person who got near me. Kicking and punching, the three of us put our backs against each other and fought._

"_One!" I yelled, after knocking out the first person. "Two!" There goes another one falling to the floor._

"_So this is a competition?" Akane asked, swinging a knee into some poor dude's stomach. "That makes three for me then!"_

"_Hah! I'm already on four!" Ryota called, shoving his elbow into some other poor dude's neck._

_I punched two others out. The three of us started calling out numbers. I landed a blow to the boss's face. Then knocked him off his feet by swiping at his legs._

"_Seven," I said._

"_Seven," Akane said, smiling at me._

"_Damn, six." Ryota said._

"_So there were only twenty people." I said, stepping away from the boss. "Well, admit defeat yet, boss?"_

_He raised his head, glaring at us. "Like hell I-"_

_Akane stamped her foot on his head. "Just admit defeat already." She then stomped on his back a few times._

"_Damn you stupid kids!" He yelled._

"_Here." Mikiya held out a sheet of paper and a pen to the guy. "Just sign here to say that you guys lost."_

"_Sign? What is this stupid shit?" Boss pushed himself up, glaring at us with hatred._

"_You lost." I said. "Suck it up. If you want to lose, at least lose with dignity."_

"_Who said I wanted to lose?" He shrieked._

_Akane grabbed his collar, lifting him off the ground. "Just say you lost already. It'll at least help you preserve your honor."_

"_Little America," Boss said with a hazy smile. "Fine. I lose. You guys win. Go ahead and gloat. Bastards."_

_He signed the paper. We left them there to go and attend to our own injuries._

"_Everyone alright?" I asked, as we walked back to our clubroom._

"_Yup!" Mina said with a bright grin. Mikiya nodded in agreement._

"_Never better actually," Ryota said quietly. His hands were crossed behind his head and he was staring up at the darkening sky with a grin._

"_I agree." Akane smiled at me softly. "Thanks, Rika-san."_

"_What are you saying, Akane-san? Thanks. Nice job today." I beamed in delight. "That wasn't bad, huh?"_

_They all nodded._

_Mikiya and Mina went around and stuck band-aids on our faces. Mina got a bit overboard, so we had to redo it. Ryota had a split lip. I remember that clearly. He told me it wasn't the first time, but it still hurt a lot._

"_You know what I thought watching you guys?" Mina said, sitting next to us, while Akane stuck a band-aid on my cheek._

"_What?" The three of us asked in unison._

_She smiled. "I thought I was watching three crazy dragons finally let loose. Like, before, you guys seemed kind of withdrawn. At least, Barton-san and Asari-san did. Well, even Rika-san. But then, when you guys started fighting, it was like you were free. Like, dragons in cages suddenly free. Like that!" She grinned and then laughed nervously. "Ah, I don't know why I thought that-"_

"_That's it!" I said, startling everyone. "Dragons! We'll be the Dragon gang!"_

"_That's kind of lame." Ryota replied with his usual blank look._

"_Red," Mikiya said quietly._

_We all turned to him and he blushed lightly with the sudden attention. "I-I was just thinking, how about the, um, Red Dragons?"_

"_Brilliant!" I grinned._

"_Aka-Ryuu?" Akane said, tilting her head. Then she smiled. "It's a nice name."_

"_Oh, I like it too!" Mina beamed at Mikiya. He blushed again._

"_Okay! Then, the Red Dragons we are!" I said._

_Akane held her hand out. We stared at her and then placed our hands over hers. But we didn't know what to say, so we just grinned at each other._

"_Go Red Dragons!" I yelled, lifting my hand up. _

"_Go Red Dragons!" They said cheerily. It was cheesy, but I guess we didn't care._

_I had bruises all over my body the next day when I woke up. I was tired and a bit sore, but I felt happy. This little band of misfits that I'd created was a place I could call home._

"That's basically how things went!" I said. "We fought. We won. Mina was our spy, since she was a pretty good runner, knew how to act well, and could climb buildings. She's so good at climbing buildings! None of us could ever learn that, but she could climb up a two story house really easily. It was super cool. But she doesn't jump from building to building, unless they're close to each other.

And Mikiya became our coordinator in the back. That began… in the second fight. Since that one was against a larger gang, I don't remember which. I asked Mikiya and Mina to yell out orders to the three of us. Cause, you know, when we're fighting, it's hard to notice other things right? But the two of them standing to the side could see if someone is in danger, or if someone is about to punch one of our own people.

So our second fight came pretty quickly, but we all had a lot more confidence than the last time…

"_Ready everyone?" I asked, cracking my knuckles as we stood in front of the other gang. It had, perhaps, about twenty-five people in it. They were, once again, high schoolers. _

_Akane nodded_. "_Ready when you are, Captain." She smiled at me._

"_You promise the ramen if we win?" Ryota asked. I'd told them that I'd treat them all to ramen after we win._

"_Yes, so start thinking about what you want to eat." I grinned._

"_Arrogant, aren't you, little kids?" The leader of this gang said._

_After some of the usual bickering, name-calling, and sassy retorts, we started the fight. The other gang was told that Mikiya and Mina would not fight and, therefore, could not be attacked._

"Red_!" I heard Mikiya yell over the shouts and sound of flesh meeting flesh. I didn't turn but nodded, waiting for his instructions. "Regroup with _Anna_! Move to your right!"_

"_What is this?" One of the other gang members hissed, blocking my path. "Someone's got a brain up there."_

_A kick, two punches, and I was moving on. "_Anna!" _I called, scanning the mob of angry high schoolers for that blond head._

_I knocked out two more. "That makes four you guys!"_

"_I already have five!" Ryota's voice replied. I could just barely make out his black head, bobbing amidst the rest._

"_Five!" Akane yelled._

_Two more down. Someone grabbed my arm and jerked me to one side. I swung my left leg and connected to that guy's side._

_Another arm shot out and pulled my two arms back. Crap! I remember thinking that I was doomed. There were so many of them coming around._

_Using the guy holding me, I flipped my legs up and wrapped them around the dude's head. I stared into his wide eyes with a possibly crazy smile. Then I twisted my body to the left, dragging the guy along with it._

_He fell, and I landed on the ground. Two more guys quickly surrounded me. I still hadn't reached Akane yet._

_After an elbow here, a few punches there, some slightly awkward maneuvering, those two were knocked out. KO! _

_Then I heard Mikiya shouting. "No! I told you! Asari! Move back! Go over to where Akamatsu is!"_

_He'd definitely lost his cool if he'd abandoned our code names. I turned to where Ryota was at. There was nothing but a crowd of boys._

_That's where Ryota's at? I thought in panic. Akane was also surrounded by four or five boys it seemed. How come I was the only one?_

_I looked up at Mikiya for guidance. The usual calm in his green eyes was gone, replaced by fear._

"_Mickey! Which side?" I called, even though I was already running to my left. Akane was strong, and it didn't look like she was being attacked by as many people._

"_Asari! Now!" Mikiya screamed at the top of his lungs. I saw a small gap between the boys. Was Mikiya asking Ryota to leave the crowd? _

_I landed a flying kick at the nearest guy, knocking him to the ground. Then I quickly flew into motion, kicking and punching._

_I found myself fighting next to Ryota. He was badly bruised and beat up, compared to me, at least._

"_Why didn't you listen to Mickey?!" I screamed over the noise._

_He didn't respond, only gritting his teeth and glaring at everyone. Then he said, "Why should I listen to that idiot?"_

"_He is-" I slammed my knee into a guy's stomach. "-Not-" I smashed my fist into another guy's face. Ooh, might have just broken his nose there. "An!" Another punch into a guy's side. "Idiot!" And a nice kick at the legs._

"_And that," I put my hands on my waist. "Makes eight."_

"_I got nine." Ryota said smugly, as another guy crumpled in front of him._

_I glared at him. "Yes, but you didn't follow orders."_

"_What orders?" He asked irritably._

"_You should have listened to Mickey!" I said, stepping up to him. I began poking his chest repeatedly. "If he tells you to retreat, then retreat! What would have happened if I hadn't stepped in? You would have been beaten up! You might have needed to go to the hospital!" I took a good look at his bruised face. "Damn it! You might have to go now anyway!"_

_He spat something out to the ground. All I saw was a glimpse of red. Blood._

"_It's fine." He said, maintaining that strong gaze._

"_No. It is not." I replied. "Are you trying to die, you idiot? Don't you know you could have been beaten to death? There were like seven or eight of them surrounding you! They don't care what happens to you!"_

_He looked away. I heard footsteps approach the two of us._

"_They signed," Mina said with a content smile._

"_Are you two alright?" Mikiya asked._

"_I got eight." Akane said simply, coming to stand by my side. _

"_Are you okay, Akane-san?" I turned to check out my new best friend. Aside from a small bruise on her cheek, she looked the same._

"_Your cheek is going to be swollen tomorrow." Akane said, taking my chin lightly and tilting it. _

"_Ice can help!" Mina said. _

_I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. But!" I whipped back to Ryota. "You!"_

"_Just leave me alone." He said, turning and walking away._

"_Wait!" I ran towards him, but someone grabbed my arm. Mikiya shook his head, so I stayed behind with them._

_We watched silently as he left the high school campus. _

"_He has a bad family life." Mikiya said quietly, once Ryota was out of sight. "His parents are divorced. His mom works really late, and I heard she just gets drunk when she gets home. And he has a little brother to take care of too."_

_It's hard for someone like me to understand what that's like. I knew what it was like to not see my parents for a long time, but I'd always been surrounded by servants. I was showered in care and anything I could want. And I'd never met a drunkard before, nor did I have any younger siblings. _

_Maybe, he was just… lonely._

"_Is he suicidal?" Akane asked, startling us all with the thought._

"_Su-Suicidal?" Mina repeated with a terrified look. "I-I hope not."_

_Mikiya shrugged. "Maybe. He doesn't have much to look forward to when he wakes up in the morning after all."_

_Except for a younger brother, I remember thinking. If he cared about his younger brother, he'd get up every morning, wouldn't he? And now, if we could become his good friends, maybe he'll get up in the mornings for us too._

_We stood around solemnly for a while before finally breaking and walking back home. We tended to our injuries ourselves that time._

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><p><strong>The next chapter ends the flashbacking period! This was a looooong chapter. <strong>

**Also: DO NOT TRY ANY OF THESE THINGS AT HOME! I have zero knowledge on martial arts and know just a bit about baking cakes from scratch. Though you guys knew that right? This story is just for fun. You can't possibly learn anything good on baking or martial arts from this. Hope you guys already knew that.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	22. Flashbacking: The End

**Double update~! This is a much shorter chapter though, but the flashbacks end after this! **

**PhoenixOtaku: **Thank you sooo much! :D Lol, I personally think Mikiya and Mina are really cute.

**AwakenedSecrets:** Aw, well do you think I should just stick some random flashbacking stories in every once in a while? Or would that be a bit strange? Thanks for all your reviews! ^-^

**LuvPeaceCandy:** That's so cool that you take martial arts! :)

**the pandypandas:** You're back again! Hi! :D Thank you for reviewing!

**Karnevalfreak59: **Lol if you're going to try, don't hurt yourself! Oh yeah, and punch someone with a good reason too :P Thanks for the review!

**Independent Not in Love:** Hello! Thanks for reviewing! Ok, I'll try and put some more Kyoya in then! :D Hope this chapter explains some of your questions!

**Guest:** Hi! Thank you so much for the review! :D 

**And the chapter... Hope you guys like it!**

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><p>"Akane taught us all some English. When we were fighting other gangs, we used English for the most part to communicate. When we really had no idea what the other person was saying though, we'd switch to Japanese. But using English threw the opponents off and they wouldn't know what to expect from us. Like we could be yelling directions of what to do next, and they'd have no idea.<p>

We'd challenge a few gangs every once in a while. Others would come and challenge us. Each time, we'd tell them that if they lost, they had to submit to us. Sometimes there were random ambushes by gangs, so we started traveling together. We became quite the well-known gang out there.

There were a few fights that ended in a draw. Some were interrupted by the police, and we all had to scramble. Those moments were scary and thrilling. I really am crazy, huh?" I grinned at the ceiling. "Then there were a few where we actually lost. Maybe three? And we'd just accept defeat. All our challenges had the condition that the side that lost could always get the chance for another challenge. So when we did lose, we'd just regroup and strategize a bit more than usual. Then challenge again! In the end though, we always win."

Then there was that one… I thought. I could feel a tingling sensation at my left side where the light brown scar was. That stupid gang.

"There was a biker gang, right? That one was fun. We rode around the streets on motorcycles. A lot of the days though, we'd actually spend in our club room. We'd do homework together and talk. I brought in some nice tea cups and a hot water maker. Mina brought in tea, and so we drank tea there a lot of the times.

We changed. Those four changed the most. I changed too though. I found that I really liked… commoners. I liked the town. I liked the people living there. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to go back to that stuffy place full of rich snobs. Ah, but, Ouran seems to be different." I smiled at Honey. "Maybe it's because the Host Club is there, but there doesn't seem to be that many snobby people. Or maybe I just haven't met any. Well, I guess it doesn't matter what economic status you have, there will always be those kinds of people around.

I think Ryota changed the most. He became a more considerate person. Not so closed off. He started telling us lame jokes, and we'd always grin at them. He was the one who found the 3 Musketeers. They were some of his old elementary school buddies, but they were in a different class. They joined us, and he always seemed happy talking and messing around with them.

Akane became more friendly to others too. I remember in our third and second year that she got so many confessions. She started talking to others more and smiling more. It was like something suddenly hit all the guys. Wham! They started chasing after her, confessing and giving her flowers and chocolates on all days and occasions.

At least it was a good thing Akane loved chocolate!" I grinned at the memory. She was so easy to bribe. All you had to do was offer her some delicious dark chocolate. She liked pocky too, but not as much as she liked chocolate.

"Mikiya and Mina, those two, mainly just had a nice confidence boost. They seemed happier too; Mikiya certainly did. But it took a while for us to come together and become good friends. After that little spat, I set up a bonding event to try and mend us back into a team. It worked, sort of, and then I treated them to ramen and ice cream. But, I guess, we really noticed our similarities after this one thing...

_It was the week before exams and summer break. Mina was the one who suggested it, saying, "Since exams are coming up, we should put our energy into studying! So let's not meet up for club for the next few days!"_

_We all agreed. I had to review some things anyway._

_On the first day though, I didn't know where to go. Back home? No, not where Mariko was busily studying for her college classes. I'd just disrupt her, because then she'd feel the need to attend to me._

_I didn't feel like studying that much anyway, so I went to our clubroom. I slid open the door, stepping in._

"_Rika-san?"_

_I looked up and saw a familiar blond girl sitting at the desk with a textbook opened in front of her. "Akane-san!" I grinned, closing the door quickly. I sat down across from her, feeling happy to be able to see her again._

"_So what are you doing here?" I asked her, staring at her science textbook._

"_The library was too noisy." She replied, then glanced at me. "What about you?"_

"_I don't have anywhere better to go." I said. Since she was studying, I figured I'd study with her. I pulled out my history textbook._

_We both read quietly. That was the thing with Akane. It was easy to be with her in just plain silence, which was nice for me._

_The door slid open, and we heard a sigh. I glanced up, wondering who it could possibly be. Ryota pulled the chair next to me out and sat down. He nodded at us and then buried his head in his arms._

_Akane stared at him for a moment before shrugging and returning her attention to her studying._

"_Uh, Asari-kun?" I said, poking his arm._

"_What?" His muffled reply came._

"_How come you're here?"_

"_No where better to be." He said, lifting his head up. He stared at our two open books and then sighed. "Guess I'll study too then."_

_Akane watched with raised eyebrows as he pulled out his math textbook. "Don't you have the worst grades out of all of us?"_

_Ryota shrugged. "Who cares?"_

_The door opened again and someone stepped in quietly. The three of us turned to see Mikiya carrying some books. His eyes widened when he saw us and then he smiled. "Hello everyone!"_

_I grinned. "Hey!"_

_Akane waved and Ryota just nodded. Mikiya sat down at the head of the table, setting the books down. _

"_Guess we're all studying here together huh?" He said._

"_What are all those books for?" Akane asked, picking the top one off. "Oh, English? And this one is Basics of Biology."_

"_And the History of Japan," Ryota read off the third book's cover. _

"_You can't just study from the textbook." Mikiya said as if that explained everything._

_Ryota put the book back. "Actually you can."_

"_Says the one with the worst grades." Akane replied, opening the book on biology. Then she sighed, closing it and returning it to Mikiya's stack of books. "Nevermind, too much weird kanji in there."_

"_I can read it for you." Mikiya picked the book up. "It's not that bad."  
><em> _The door opened again, and we all knew who it was this time. Mina came in, also carrying some books. _

"_Eh? What are you all doing here?" She asked, taking the seat next to Akane and Mikiya. And now, our gang was all here._

_We started laughing. At least Mikiya and I did, and Mina joined in. Ryota just smiled, shaking his head as if in disbelief. Akane laughed quietly with a bright glow to her face._

_I think that was when we realized how similar we started talking about why we were here when we'd all planned on not being here._

_Ryota admitted reluctantly that he didn't like being at home. There was no one there anyway. His younger brother spent the day playing outside with his friends. "And it's not like I have friends." He said, refusing to look anyone in the eye._

"_We don't either," Mikiya, Akane, and I said in unison._

"_Except each other," I smiled. _

_Akane nodded. "Then it's just Mina-san then." We turned our gaze to the girl, who blushed under the sudden attention._

"_Eh, not really." She smiled sheepishly. "All my friends are from elementary school and I'm not that close to them. We just eat lunch together."_

"_Then how come you don't have any friends?" Ryota asked Mikiya bluntly._

_He shrugged. "Th-They don't want to talk to me, cause they're afraid they might get, uh, well, bullied too if they do."_

"_But the bullying stopped!" Mina said, looking pleased. "Ever since you beat those jerks up that day, Akane-san!" Then she glared at Ryota. _

"_Hey how come you guys can do what you do?" I asked. "Like building things and programming and climbing and stuff."_

"_Too much time," Ryota and Mikiya said. I grinned. Those two were more alike than they'd ever admit. _

"_There's nothing else to do." Ryota said with a shrug. "I've been tinkering with things since I was a kid."_

"_Same. I'm an only child, and my parents are busy with work. And I was interested in programming so I read a ton of books on it. My parents give me lots of things to try and makeup for their absence." Mikiya stared at his lap. This wasn't exactly a light and easy topic to discuss._

"_And I've been learning gymnastics since I was a kid. And I like trees and being at tall heights, so I climbed trees a lot as a kid." Mina grinned._

"_And then you decided to go and climb buildings," Mikiya said, shaking his head. "So dangerous, Mina."_

"_It's fun!" She replied with a frown. "I have a younger sister and my parents are always busy with her. She models for some company."_

"_Woah, really?" I said. _

_Mina nodded. "Yeah. She's busy and my parents are busy. So I just go outside and climb whatever I feel like. They don't care."_

"_What about you Akane-san?" I asked her._

"_I don't know anyone here." She said. "And I didn't want to. I thought my family would move back soon so there wasn't any point in making friends. But now that's not true, and my dad said we weren't moving back anytime soon."_

"_How'd you learn how to fight?" Mina asked. We were all interested in that._

"_I've been taking martial arts classes and self-defense classes and stuff since I was a kid." Akane replied. "My family moved here when my dad got a job opportunity. And my step-mom is Japanese so they were both happy with it."_

"_And what about you, Crazy _Red_?" Ryota asked, leaning back in his chair to stare at me. Uh-oh. I couldn't just tell them I was a rich kid who decided to come here for some fun. _

"_My parents are busy with their jobs too." I said with a smile. Then I realized what he'd call me. "Wait, don't call me Crazy!"_

_He smiled genuinely. "Only crazy people would want to form a gang in middle school."_

"_Takes one to know one." I replied smugly. "You guys must be crazy too to want to join." We laughed. I think they agreed._

By the time we were in our second year, we were already quite notorious. I made sure the principal and others of the school kept quiet about it though. Hiraga Mariko was my 'official' guardian, and I bribed and threatened her to not say anything to my parents. She was a college student. A nice girl from a poor family that couldn't afford to pay for her college tuition. So she worked for my family. She cooked and cleaned for me. When I came back with cuts and bruises after the first fight, she was so startled and frightened that she wanted to call my parents immediately.

I told her not too. I told her not to tell my parents anything. They were busy worrying about all the scandals anyway. In return, I paid her extra. She took it. I was pretty mean to her though, pushing her around. Even though she was so nice to me…" I fell silent for a moment, staring at my feet. I sighed. If there was one thing I regretted from that time period, it would be how I treated her.

"Anyway, by the time we were in our third year, we'd just about beaten every gang in the area. The scandals were quieting down. We didn't get many challenges. Some gangs refused the fact that they'd been beaten and would continuously challenge us until Akane paid them a personal visit. She'd usually beat up the leader and tell the gang that they were being annoying and to stop challenging us when they obviously didn't stand a chance.

The adult gangs were pretty tough. They had the most members actually, but they didn't cause as much trouble. To beat them, we always had to bring the Color Squad. And the Color Squad would bring some of their buddies in the judo, kendo, or wrestling club to help us out. They'd all heard of our mission, I guess, and they wanted to bring peace back to the town too.

At some point though, for me, it stopped being something just to make trouble and have some fun. I actually did want to help Mikiya and Mina bring back their town. I actually liked the place.

And I think it's the same for Ryota and Akane. Goofy had never liked the town that much, you know. I also learned what "commoners" were like. They weren't as terrible as my mom had always painted them to be. There were so many humble, kind people. I… I loved these people. They were so much better than those stuck-up rich snobs.

And for Mickey and Minnie, it stopped being a mission. Of course they still wanted to bring peace and stop all the gangs, but, I guess, they started to enjoy what they were doing. Geez, we were like criminals in the making, huh? Ha.

The gang found out who I really was. One day, they came over and Mariko called me "Rika-sama" and that made them all very suspicious. And they found out that she wasn't a relative of mine, and that my parents were living elsewhere.

The day after, they told me that they'd looked up my file. Mikiya had hacked into the school's database and found my information. My parents' names were on there as under emergency contacts. Plus I bought everyone lots of things, and I guess they put it together. So I told them that, yes, I was a rich kid, but that shouldn't matter, right? I told them to keep it a secret. They were really surprised, like jaw-dropping surprised, but they agreed. I trusted them.

They did bombard me with questions like what it was like to be rich, like questions about having maids and butlers. They asked me how big my bedroom is and how many houses my family had. It was amusing, actually, the way they reacted when I answered their questions.

But then, one day, we were at our club room, doing homework together. It was our third year, nearing the end of the first semester. We talked, played video games, read books. We just chilled there. Then…

_The door opened suddenly. Mom was standing there, wearing a sky blue and white kimono. Behind her were several members of the Black Garlic Squad, our own personal police force._

"_I've heard everything, Rika!" Mom yelled, as two members grabbed my arms and pulled me out of my chair._

_Akane was on her feet immediately, throwing a punch at one. _

"_Stop Akane!" I yelled. She probably could have beaten the two, but there were a lot more of them behind my mom. _

"_Who are these people?" Mina asked fearfully._

"_That is my question." Mom said. "Forming a gang and getting into fights. Really now, Rika, shouldn't you know better than that? You're coming back home. Immediately."_

"_W-Wait! I haven't even-" I tried to get out of the tight grip, but I was slowly being pulled out of the room. "Guys! I though-"_

"_Get your hands off of Rika!" Ryota yelled, lunging at the man holding me. I shook my head furiously, staring into those dark brown eyes for the last time._

"_It's fine, Goofy!" I said. "I guess this is goodbye though!"_

"_What?" Mikiya stood up. _

"_Why?" Mina asked._

_I was thrown into the limo before I could answer. I still remember their shocked faces. Who could have betrayed me? That was all I could think._

"_How did you find out?" I asked Mom. "Was it Mariko?"_

"_Mariko? No. Your principal told me, and some kid who called himself Asari Ryota." Mom replied calmly. "I can not believe you would do something as barbaric as this, Rika. It's ridiculous. I've transferred you to an all-girls school. Perhaps mingling with commoners is the reason why you've changed."_

"_Damn you." I screamed. I kicked and fought and yelled the entire ride through. Eventually, Mom threw me into a hotel room and put guards there._

_I don't know what happened to Mariko. I was brought back to the house I usually lived in, where I baked cakes endlessly. That week I came up with four new cakes that all became very popular at our Hayashi Sweets stores._

_I ate an entire cake on the first day back. I screamed at anyone who approached me. I watched anime, played video games, and read manga. Then, when I went downstairs to my own small dojo, I found all my equipment gone. The room was completely empty._

_Mom told me, "You're being childish and foolish." _

_I was moved to the all-girls boarding school down south. That's where I met Azumi. She'd been sent there by Mom, and she was my boarding hall's caretaker. My entire closet was redone with nothing but girly clothes. My sneakers, boots, and slippers were taken away to be replaced with pretty, little dress shoes, flats, and those Mary Janes._

_All my manga and anime was taken away. The school's internet blocked any manga and anime sites. I managed to hack it the first few weeks and got to read my manga and watch my anime online. But then apparently some of the girls saw me reading manga in the library. They reported to the librarian, and the librarian scolded me._

_After that I couldn't enter the library for a long time. When I was allowed back in, they wouldn't let me use any of the computers. And Mom called me and lectured me for hours._

_I fought at first. I refused to talk to any of those girls, who talked in sweet, quiet voices and smiled all the time. The ones who only worried about their hair, their makeup, their clothes, and their grades. _

_They ignored me, talking behind my back, saying things like how I was a messed up, psychotic kid. How I was bloodthirsty, evil, and I would contaminate anyone I talked to._

_Eventually, I learned that fighting was useless. Mom would never give up. She was impossible to negotiate with. _

_The all-girls boarding school kept on through high school. During the summer of high school first year, I was sent to a short "recorrection" summer camp. I took that opportunity to pretend that I had changed. After the camp, I turned into one of those girls. Sweet, quiet voices, all smiles, fretting over my appearance._

_It was so damn annoying._

_I made some "friends" and on weekends I'd go out with them. I'd go shopping with them. I'd go watch movies with them. _

_It was terrible._

_My parents had my cellphone and email address changed. They said that if they found out that I tried to contact any of my old friends, they would send me abroad to America or Europe or somewhere._

_It wasn't too hard to figure out that they'd bugged my phone. The bug was right where the battery case was, and I threw it out the moment I found it. _

_Those two years I spent a lot of it reading and plotting on how to get out of my parents' clutches._

Do you want to know what my plan is?" I asked Honey suddenly.

He blinked. He was probably still processing all the information. "Wait, so was it that Goofy that told the principal?"

"I don't know. I don't think it's him though."

"Hm." He stared off for a while, before glancing at me. "Oh, tell me!"

"After high school, I'm going to study abroad, probably England. And there, I'll find myself a good job, and then I'll never return to Japan! Isn't it a great plan? I'll be a legal adult, so my parents can't do anything to me!"

"You don't want to live in Japan?" Honey asked, furrowing his eyebrows in concern.

"Well I'd like to, but not if it meant listening to my parents all the time. It's really annoying you know. Anyway, now you know everything." I said with a shrug.

"How come you ended up at Ouran then? Why didn't you stay at that boarding school?"

"Oh, that's cause Mom said after the second year that I could change my school if I wanted to. It was probably just a test to see if I had really changed. If I asked to go back to Akawari, she'd probably keep me at the boarding school. So, instead, I picked Ouran. Though I didn't expect for its uniform to be so ugly. If I'd known that, I probably would have gone to a different school. Not Lobelia though, ugh." I shuddered at the thought. "That school is full of crazies."

Honey laughed. "Well I'm glad you picked Ouran though."

I stared at his grinning face and smiled. "Same here!"

"But won't you take over your family's business?"

"No. Why would I? Isn't it obvious that Kimiko's going to? She is the older one after all."

"But I feel like…" Honey stared at his ceiling then shook his head. "Never mind."

What? Ah, whatever. "Thanks for listening, Mitsu-kun." I grinned. "Ah, that took a long time, didn't it?"

"But there's still so much you haven't told me." Honey said quietly.

"Yeah. But how am I supposed to fit two and a half years of memories into just a few hours? There are so many stories." Like the little bonding event I'd set up for Mickey and Goofy to get along better. Our random picnics. Our sleepovers at Akane's place, just the girls though. And, of course, playing Cupid and getting Mickey and Minnie together in our second year.

"Will you tell me more some other time then?" Honey asked, glancing at me.

I smiled. "Sure."

There was a knock on the door. "Mitsukuni-sama, it's time for dinner."

Honey got up and started walking towards the door. I sat up and began to follow him. "Okay! Oh, is Father going to be there?"

There was a pause and then, "No, Sir, he's out right now."

Honey opened the door and grinned at the maid. "Then it's okay if Ri-chan eats dinner with us right?"

The maid blushed. "Of course, Mitsukuni-sama."

Isn't she just enjoying saying his name? I thought, feeling a strange twinge of annoyance. Honey nodded.

"Okay, come on, Rika. Aren't you hungry?"

This will be my third sleepover...

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><p><strong>So many sleepovers, and more to come. Please review! And thanks for reading!<strong>


	23. The Host Club and the Chess Club

**Chapter 23! Back to the "present" day in their world. Quick refreshing of the memory, since it's been like 5 chapters, but Rika's hand is injured. She has to quit the Host Club and she has a date with Honey scheduled on their coming Saturday. **

**Thanks for all the follows and faves!**

**AwakenedSecrets: **Lol, her mom is kind of portrayed in a terrible light, huh? Sorry for your interrupted sleep schedule! Exactly what time is it when you read? Like 2 AM? And good points on the flashbacking! :D Thanks for your continued support! Love ya! :) More fluff in this, hope you like it!

**Karnevalfreak59:** Thanks for reading and reviewing! And just a little spoiler, yes the gang will be coming back :)

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**Guest:** Hi! Not sure if you're the same one as last chapter, hopefully you are :) Thank you! And there's more fluff here~

**Continuing... Thanks everyone! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"Morinozuka-san, yes?" Azumi bowed at the tall figure before her. "Could you bring these things to Rika-sama?" She held out the yellow bundle and the glasses case.

"Ah." Mori replied with a slight dip of his head.

Azumi smiled. "Thank you." She bowed once again, before heading towards the main house. She knew now would not be a good time to see Rika. Azumi had heard the entire conversation and had even expected that Rika would put up a fight. It was surprising when she accepted it all so easily, so she wasn't surprised that Rika had gone to the Haninozuka home the moment her mother left.

Azumi sighed quietly. The Hayashi family was troublesome. Maybe she should find a new job.

Mori knocked on Honey's bedroom door, then he stepped in. The sight of Honey and Rika curled up next to each other made him smile.

"Rika-san, please wake up." Mori said quietly, shaking the girl awake.

"Ugh." Rika mumbled some incoherent words, rolling onto her back. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to focus her blurry eyesight on the familiar face. "Hm."

"A maid brought your uniform and glasses." Mori said. His voice woke her up some more. It was quite rare to hear him speak after all.

"Okay. Thanks." Rika buried her face back into the pillow.

"Rika-san, please get up soon. And wake Mitsukuni up too." Then Mori was gone. Rika sighed, sitting up.

"Mitsukuni, wake up." Rika said, rubbing at her eyes. "Today is Monday, right? Yeah, today's Monday." She sighed. She'd left the pictures at the house.

"Honey, come on. Wake up. Mitsu-chan, get up now. Come on." She started shaking him, rolling him back and forth.

"Okay." He grumbled quietly.

Rika grabbed her uniform and her glasses. It must have been Azumi. She stepped into Honey's bathroom. "Ah! Hey, uh, Mitsukuni, can I take a shower?"

That woke Honey up. He sat up quickly, glancing around in confusion. "Huh? What? Uh, yeah sure. Um, I'll go get you a towel!"

"Okay. Thank you!" Rika called out.

Honey dashed out of the room and grabbed the nearest servant. When he returned to his room, a sudden thought struck him. "Wait, Rika, what about your hand?"

"It should be okay!"

He could hear the water running. Blushing, he went to his closet to change. "D-Did you take the bandages off?"

"Uh... Yeah."

Someone knocked on the door. A maid handed Honey a towel. Now how was he supposed to get it to her? Wouldn't she have to open the door?

"Rika, the towel is here. And Dr. Maruya can rebandage your hand later."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, Honey heard the water being turned off. That was fast, he thought, sitting on the edge of his bed waiting.

"Hey, uh, Mitsukuni, the towel?"

"Um… Here, uh." He stood outside of the door unsure of what to do. The bathroom door popped open, and Rika's head poked out. Her hair was tied up in a cute bun. He'd never seen her with that hairstyle before.

He quickly handed her the towel, looking away with a blush.

"Thanks a lot, Mitsukuni." She grinned at him before shutting the door. Honey sighed, flopping down on his bed. He couldn't wait for Saturday.

"Sorry about this." Rika said, now in the school uniform. She undid the bun, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Then she took her red bow and quickly tied it around her hair. Pulling out her glasses from the case, she slid them on.

"It's fine, Rika! How come you have glasses though?"

"Cause I usually wear contacts," She replied with a sigh. It's just like in a manga! She thought. Sadly, I don't know how to pull off that pushing-up-glasses thing.

"Let me see your hand." Honey held out his hand, and she placed her left hand in his.

"You undid the bandages on your wrist too?" He asked with a slight frown.

"Hehe. Yeah. They were being annoying." She smiled. Maybe she shouldn't have. Now she was just causing more trouble for him.

"Let's go visit Dr. Maruya and then get some breakfast." He took her hand and they walked out of the room together.

Rika couldn't help but think that she could get used to something like this.

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><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

All day, I was pestered with questions, either about my glasses or about my hand. I told them I'd injured my hand in an accident. And they all believed me. How tiring though…

I wonder how Kyoya's going to take the news of me quitting the Host Club. Well he'll have to give in, since even he can't defeat my mom...

"You're… QUITTING?!"

I sighed, facing the Host Club before hosting hours. I nodded. "Yes. I don't really have a choice. Mom wants me to do it, which means I have to do it."

Mori's expression was still the same. Honey, of course, already knew. The twins and Tamaki were shocked, staring with their mouths wide open in a very One Piece fashion.

Kyoya sighed. "This will be quite troublesome."

"It is!" I said. "My source of income is now gone!"

He shook his head. "How will your customers take it though? We'll lose quite a bit of income. Although your customers weren't many, they were quite willing to spend the money." A dark aura fogged over Kyoya. "Now I have more work to do."

"Here, I'll clean up my mess. Give me whatever work it is, and I'll deal with it." I said. "I'll be joining the Chess Club, by the way. So if you guys ever need me, come find me there." I stood up from where I'd been sitting.

"Wait!" Tamaki yelled, sticking his palm in my face. "There has got to be another way! Why? Mommy! Come up with a plan to make Rika stay!"

Kyoya pushed up his glasses. "I'm afraid even I can not defeat Rika's mother."

"Is she that scary?" Haruhi asked dubiously.

"She has the Black Garlic Squad behind her!" I said, nodding furiously.

"Black Garlic?" Haruhi repeated.

"You know how Kyoya's family has a private police force?" I said. Haruhi nodded. "Well my parents have a private police force too. Kyoya's is the Black Onion Squad, so ours is the Black Garlic Squad!"

"What weird names," The twins said.

"Regardless!" Tamaki yelled, waving his arms around to regain attention. "We can't just let Rika leave!"

"There's no other option, Tamaki." I said.

"You could work for us quietly." Kyoya suggested.

"Why does that sound like a black market deal?" Haruhi mumbled to the side. The twins grinned.

"Would you like to explain your situation to us?" Kyoya asked.

"What situation?" I replied.

"What does your mother mean when she wants you to quit the club? Does it mean that you can no longer associate with us or-"

"She said I can't be part of the club, but I can still be friends with you guys."

"I have an excellent idea then." Kyoya's glasses glinted in an ominous way. He was perhaps the third person that I wouldn't want to cross. Mom is the first, of course, and Honey the second.

"Yes! As expected of Kyoya!" Tamaki said, giving a thumbs up and grinning. "Isn't that great, Haruhi? My two daughters can stay together!" He went and hugged the girl, who merely stood there.

"We'll hire you as a baker." Kyoya said, ignoring Tamaki's usual antics. "I've been meaning to ask you to bake each member an individual cake."

"An individual cake? What do you mean?"

"A cake that, when eating it, would remind you of that particular host. If you can design such a cake, the Host Club can sell it to our guests."

"Are you expecting me to bake hundreds and hundreds?" I asked.

"No. Come up with the design and recipe. Show us the finished product. We'll have a taste. If it's good, I'll send the design and recipe to a cake company, a-"

"Better yet!" I interrupted with a sudden idea. "The Hayashi Sweets will bake these cakes for you. Of course, that means you'll have to pay the Hayashi Sweets company, and me for the design."

Kyoya smiled. "A fair idea."

"Hayashi cakes are of the highest quality, Kyoya. You won't be disappointed." I smiled back.

"Here." Kyoya handed me a sheet of paper. "This is the color of each Host's rose. Perhaps you could put each Host's rose on their cake."

"Will the twins be one or two cakes?" I asked, glancing at the paper. Chocolate roses would probably be the best.

"Whatever you deem best." Kyoya said.

"We can just be one cake." Kaoru said with a vague shrug.

I nodded. "Okay. Thanks Kaoru! It'll take some time, but I'll drop by when the cake is done. I guess I should go, huh?"

"Wait!" Tamaki yelled, jumping in front again. "We still have to announce your leave to our guests!"

Oh. That.

"It'd be best if you were here when we do so," Kyoya said.

"Okay."

"Argh!" The twins suddenly said. "And we haven't even gotten to dress you up much yet, Rika-senpai!"

"That's your greatest concern?" Haruhi said, looking like she could sweat-drop. I grinned. These guys were great.

Suddenly, there was a great gasp. Everyone froze, whipping around to the source of the sound. Tamaki stood with his eyes wide and mouth open.

"What happened to your hand, my darling daughter?!" Tamaki wailed, pulling me into another one of his bone-crushing hugs.

"Gyahh! What?! It - was - just an - accident!" I yelled back between gasps of air.

Eventually, someone, probably Haruhi or maybe Honey, stopped Tamaki. I sat on the ground, trying to regain my breath. "Sheesh, don't just do that, Tamaki. You're going to kill someone like that."

"Haruhi!" Tamaki was too busy crying to Haruhi to hear me. I swear I could have sweat-dropped.

"Okay?" Honey held out his hand to me with a warm smile. I smiled back, taking his hand. He pulled me up to my feet.

"Yeah." I held his gaze for a while before it became too much to bear, and I looked away blushing. Gosh why won't he stop looking at me?! Ahhh it's so agonizing!

"What's with this atmosphere?" Hikaru said. "It's like Valentine's Day came early."

Kaoru sighed. "What a shame. We haven't even begun our operation yet."

"What operation?" I said, startled by their sudden appearance. What did Hikaru even mean by that statement anyway?

The twins exchanged glances and grinned mischievously. "You'll see."

Hahaha, you twins. Think you can get away with anything huh? Well just you wait! Tomorrow will be your doomsday! Mwahahaha!

For now, I'll act innocent, so that their guard will be down. Those fools must have thought that, since I haven't done anything to them yet, I won't do anything. Ho ho ho, they really don't understand a thing. They're ten years too young to understand the art of revenge!  
>"Rika, you look like you're plotting a murder." Honey said calmly.<p>

I jumped, returning to Earth and reality. "Eh? Really?! Sorry!"

"Everyone!" Tamaki said, flailing his arms. "Come on! Positions!" Everyone scrambled around to their rightful places, standing in front of the closed doors.

My last time. Man, who would have expected my hosting days to be so short? Oh well, might as well make the best of it.

The doors opened and the rose petals fell.

"Welcome!"

* * *

><p>"NOOOO!"<p>

"Chiyo-san!" I yelled when the girl hugged me in a very Tamaki-like fashion.

"How can you quit the Host Club? Noooo! I won't be able to see my adorable senpai anymore!" Chiyo wailed, rubbing her face into mine.

"I'll stop by this club." I replied, patting her head in a somewhat reassuring way. "And I'll be at the Chess Club if you ever want to drop by and visit."

"Oh! The Chess Club!" Genta said.

"As expected of our Rika-dono!" Ikuma said with a grin.

"What?" I said, glancing around confused.

"You see, Rika-dono, our Chess Club is the best of the best!" Atsuo said with an extravagant arm gesture. "Only the finest chess players are allowed entry into the club!"

Oh dear…

I smiled. "I better practice my chess then, or else I won't be able to join."

"That'd be the best!" Chiyo said. Her eyes glittered. "Then you can join the Host Club again!"

"Uh, no that's not how it works." I replied.

Her head drooped dispiritedly. "Why?"

"I don't really have a choice." I patted her head again, smiling. "It's okay. I still see you in my class, right?"

"Haruhi-kun!"

"Ah!"

I whipped around to see a tray of tea cups filled with steaming tea and cake flying through the air, falling towards one guest of Honey and Mori's. The girl sat there, eyes widening by the second, staring at her impending doom.

"Kyaaa!" She screamed.

_Crash!_

I opened my eyes, barely realizing that I'd had them closed. The girl was still sitting there, perfectly fine and a bit dazed, except for the occasional bits of cake and tea on her.

But standing in front of her was-

"Oh my motherfu-" I had to swallow the incoming stream of swearwords. Instead, I shot out of Chiyo's arms, dashing towards the boy who was still standing there.

"Mitsukuni are you alright?!" I yelled, knocking the tray off his head. Shards of the tea cups littered the ground. Mori was even faster. He quickly wiped away the cake off of Honey's face with a handkerchief.

There were cuts on his cheeks and forehead where the porcelain had cut him. I grabbed his face, pulling him close. His hair was wet from the tea.

"To the sink!" I yelled, trying to the fight the growing panic. Mori picked Honey up and the three of us stormed into the backroom. Mori dunk Honey's head under the cold water.

"Gah!" Honey gasped, pulling his head out of the water.

I wrapped a towel around his head. "Are you alright?"

He looked at me and then grinned. "Don't worry, Rika. I'll fine!"

"But- but! Hot tea! A-And sharp tea cups! And cake!" I said, flailing my arms around uselessly.

"The cake was pretty good actually," Honey said with a smile.

That idiot.

Mori turned Honey around to check on any injuries. While they were busy, I went and grabbed the band-aid box.

"Is Honey-senpai alright?" Haruhi asked, stepping into the backroom and closing the door behind her.

"Yes." Mori said.

Haruhi let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I'll tell the rest then."

I started sticking band-aids on Honey's face. It wasn't my first time doing something like this. But gang fights usually caused bruises, not cuts.

Honey smiled reassuringly at me. Mori was drying his hair with the towel, standing behind the smaller boy.

"That was scary." I muttered. "How did that even happen?"

"Haru-chan was carrying a tray of tea and cake over, when one of the guests suddenly ran into her. And so the tray went flying." Honey replied cheerfully.

"You don't always have to smile, Mitsukuni." I said quietly.

He just smiled. Mori took the towel, folding it neatly and leaving it on the counter. Now Honey's face was covered in band-aids. I sighed.

Mori left the backroom.

Eh?

"Wait, why did Mori just-"

Honey pulled me into his arms, resting his head on my shoulder. "Sorry for worrying you, Rika. But it doesn't hurt."

I hugged him back. I could get used to this, hugging him whenever I wanted to. That'd be nice.

"I'm glad you're alright."

"And now," Honey's breath tickled my ear. I blushed. "You know how I felt when you hurt your hand like that."

Huh? Dwah- What? My thoughts suddenly turned into a jumbled mess. Like scrambled eggs.

But what did he mean by that? I'd felt… panicky and fretful. Super worried, but, most of all, completely useless. It was so frustrating. Here Honey was, hurt and possibly in pain, and I couldn't do anything. What could band-aids do? If he'd been burnt badly by the tea, there wasn't much I could do to help him. I couldn't take away any of his pain.

Was that how he'd felt?

"Oi, Rika-senpai! Honey-senpai!" The door burst open, revealing the twins. They spotted us and quickly shut the door behind them.

Honey didn't move.

Grinning, the twins came over. "So this is what you two were doing."

My face was getting redder and redder by the minute. "Mitsu-"

"Already on the first name basis?" Hikaru asked.

"Who would have expected that?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh shut up!" I yelled, blushing madly and jerking away from Honey. I caught his gaze and thought I saw, for a moment, the same look of pain that I'd seen during the Would You Rather game.

The look stopped me. I didn't want to hurt Honey. He was one of the last people I wanted to see hurt.

I blinked, and it was gone. There was no way I had not seen that though. People far too often dismissed something like that as insignificant.

"Twins, get out!" I said, not moving and not looking away from Honey's gaze.

"Why? We want to see the action!" They whined.

I glared at them. "Get. Out. _Now_." And what action?

They froze, and then walked out quickly with shrugs and disappointed expressions. I turned back to Honey and saw that he was smiling again.

"What was that look I just saw?" I asked him. "Are you sure you're alright?"

He blinked innocently at me. "What look?"

"Don't play the innocent act." I said.

He made an adorable puppy face. "What innocent act?"

"Argh! You're impossible!" I sighed, sitting down on the floor. He chuckled and sat down next to me with a more genuine smile. "If I ever do anything that you don't like, tell me, okay Mitsukuni?"

"Okay. Same here, alright?"

"Sure."

We sat there for a while, leaning on the cabinet behind us. Then I sighed. "We should get back before they're crazy minds think we're doing something weird."

I stood up and then reached out my right hand. He took it with his usual grin. "Okay."

I went straight to my spot once we left. Honey was met with concerned looks and questions. He reassured everyone that he was alright and went back to his place.

What a busy day.

* * *

><p>"Here, Rika. What you wanted me to order," Kyoya handed me a small cardboard box. Hosting hours were over, and the twins were busy goofing off in the backroom.<p>

I smiled. "Perfect. Thanks, Kyoya."

"Should I even ask what they are for?" He looked a bit worried.

"No. It would be better if you didn't know." My smile became even brighter. "Ah, but don't worry. You'll find out soon enough. I'll be going then."'

"Yes."

* * *

><p>I left Music Room 3 first. The rest were planning the next theme day. The hallway was eerily quiet after all the loud chatter in the room.<p>

"You sure took your time."

I sighed quietly, turning to face none other than Funaki Minoru. He was about 5' 5" with dark brown, limp hair. He had some crazy side bangs that covered parts of his eyes. Like, seriously, how unpractical is that? I can only imagine how choppy his vision is. His eyes were a hazel color, though more light brown than it was green. He was also in my 6th hour class, but I'd never paid much attention to him until now. He was pretty quiet and didn't attract much attention.

"What could you possibly want from me, Funaki-san?" I asked with a sweet smile.

"It's only natural that I'd want to see my _fiancee_. But I thought you agreed to quit that petty Host Club." Minoru replied, as we began walking down the hall.

"I did. Today was my last day. I can't leave loose ties everywhere." I said calmly. He was the kind of person that I had to keep my guard up. I couldn't lose my lady-like act in front of him.

"Hm. Good. Then tomorrow you'll come to the Chess Club and have your first match. It will be against a rookie, of course, and if you can't defeat him, then you won't be able to join the club."

Maybe that would be the best thing… But Mom would be able to tell if I lost on purpose. And then who knows what she'd do after that. But wait! Tomorrow I already have plans! And there is no way some stupid chess match is going to ruin my perfect revenge plan!

"I already have plans tomorrow though, Funaki-san." I smiled. "Perhaps Wednesday would be better?"

He turned to me with a sharp gaze. "If you don't show up tomorrow, then you will immediately forfeit your opportunity to join the club."  
>No choice, huh? What a jackass. Go rot in hell man. I sighed inwardly. "Who will I be against?"<p>

"A rookie, I said. It's tradition. Any first years that want to join our club must face off against our upperclassmen. Any upperclassmen that lose can't join. It's expected that the first years will lose, of course. It depends on how many pieces they have left when they lose. Those that have less than five aren't allowed in. Any more than that can join."

What? That's so ridiculous.

"It's a show for the upperclassmen to see how many pieces they can take before winning." Minoru said.

Humiliating the first years? How kind and gracious of them.

"You'll be up against the best first year, Rika-san, since I've heard of your chess skills." He glanced at me.

Jerk! I haven't played chess since middle school! And what chess skills?! Last I checked, they were nonexistent! And who ever said you could call me by my first name, huh? I don't care if we're fricking engaged! Cause I will never marry an asshole like you! Just go and die!

I sighed quietly again in my head. It'd be best if I didn't lose my temper in front of him. So instead, I smiled. "You flatter me, Funaki-san. However, my chess skills are not as excellent as you may believe they are."

He smiled back. Ah, what a jerk. I'd love to see his pretty face getting smashed in. Oh my, did I just think that? Of course I did. Hee hee. "We shall see. Be there tomorrow then." He waved lazily at me, then turned down a different hallway.

Pfft. Acting like he's such a cool hot shot. I'll just have to be quick. There is no way that jerk Minoru is going to stop my plan. I'll have everything ready. I'll beat that stupid first year quickly, leave the school, and execute my revenge.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

* * *

><p><strong>So yes, Rika is engaged. But don't worry, there will be a happy ending. :) Did you guys like the little scene? Was it fluffy enough or too fluffy? Any comments are welcomed! So review please!<strong>

**And the next chapter will have a special focus on the twins! :D**

**Thanks for reading!**


	24. And thus, my revenge is complete!

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**cloudsinwonderland:** Yes, Funaki Minoru is in the Chess Club. He's President of the Club actually. Lol tell me if you think the revenge plan was good please! :) Smashing cake is a good idea. I'm gonna have to remember that one :P

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**This chapter might seem like a filler. But anyway, hope you guys like it!**

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, Azumi didn't say a thing about my hand. I didn't try to hide it, since that would just be even more suspicious, but neither did I wave it around in her face.<p>

The next day, all our classmates went crazy when they saw Honey's face. Some already knew what had happened. There was so much gossip and chatter about it. Honey was swarmed by girls, fretting over him.

What difference was there between me and those girls? I'd panicked just as much as they were, and I was as useless as they were. Wasn't I just another one of Honey's many fangirls?

I sighed.

During third hour, we got our tests handed back.

"I don't even remember taking this." I said, as I looked at my score. 92. Okay, maybe I should start paying some attention. History has never been my strong suit.

"Wah!"

Turning, I saw a depressed Chiyo with her head on the desk. "Senpai! I got a 75!" She waved her test in front of me lazily.

I smiled. "It's okay. Just work harder next time."  
>She perked up and then immediately hugged me tightly. "Kyaa! Rika-senpai is just too cute!"<p>

Uh. Um. "Th-Thanks, Chiyo-san. Except, could you please, let go?" I said, gasping for air. She released me and grinned.

"What are your plans for summer, Rika-senpai? We should go to the beach together!" She said, flourishing her hands in the air.

That instantly attracted attention from the nearby boys. They blushed, probably imaging Chiyo in a swimsuit. Perverts! To say Chiyo was admired by many would be an understatement. She was currently one of the most popular girls in school… probably because of her big chest and her kind, bubbly personality, of course.

"I want to see Rika-senpai in a bikini!" Chiyo suddenly yelled.

I heard Honey's giggle to my side and turned to him, blushing. "That's sooo not happening."

Honey smiled at me. "Why not? _Ri_-chan?"

Was he teasing me? Sheesh, he can be as evil as Kyoya. "Bikinis are like underwear. And you can't do anything in them, unless you want something to fall off…" I felt my cheeks burning at the thought. "Besides! There's still three weeks left until summer break."

"Class! Attention!" The teacher yelled, tapping his desk with a book. "I know summer is coming up, but let's keep working hard for the next few weeks."

"Aw!" The class groaned.

* * *

><p>After class, I dashed immediately to the Chess Club's room. It was on the third floor, tucked away in a corner.<p>

What a pain. And now I have to see that ugly Minoru again.

I stopped in front of plain brown doors. What a big difference compared to the Host Club's pink doors.

Pushing the doors opened, I found myself in a vast room with brown school desks arranged in neat rows and columns. There were two chairs on either side of each desk. To the side of the room was a large closet. There were several couches that lined the walls.

What was with this? One was ridiculously extravagant and another was so plain. There were four students sitting in two desks, talking quietly. There was a chess set on the desk.

"Oh." The four turned their heads toward me.

I stepped further into the room, letting the door close behind me with an ominous thud. Why was I getting such a bad feeling?

I smiled and walked towards the four. "Hello. I'm Hayashi Rika, and I'll be joining the Chess Club today."

I'll just call this person J, since I really don't give a damn about their names, or faces for that matter. J just smirked, leaning back in his chair. Cocky one isn't he?

"Not everyone can join the Chess Club, arrogant little girl." J said. The others seemed to chime their agreement. Two boys and two girls. "If you want to join, you'll have to beat a first year. Who are you anyway?"

"I'm a third year, and I've already spoken to the president of this club. Where is this first year? I have some business to attend to and would like to get this over with as soon as possible."

J scoffed. "How could you possibly be a third year?"

I just smiled pleasantly. "I suppose you can choose to not believe me. Now could I meet this first year?"

"Rika-san?"

I turned and saw a very flustered and shocked Tsukino Shuji. "Oh. Tsukino-kun!" I said with a bright and real smile. "Are you in the Chess Club?"

He nodded, looking almost appalled at my appearance. The door opened and another familiar person walked in.

It was Kurosawa Tomiko.

Recognition flashed in her dark eyes for a moment before she bowed at me. Then she smiled hesitantly. "Ha-Hayashi-san!"

"Tch." J mumbled behind me. "Popular brat, huh?"

The door kept opening and closing as more and more members flowed in. Ten. Twenty. I started counting heads. Shuji sat down somewhat far away and began setting up a chess set. Another boy sat down at his desk and they started playing.

Where the hell is that Minoru?!

J started playing with K. I watched their game for a moment, bored out of my mind. Is that J stupid? Don't move that knight there! Agh! Now you've done it. Ooh, yup, there goes the knight. Well serves you right jerk J. Hm, K's pretty good.

"You're here, Rika-san."

Minoru stepped up to me with a smile.

"You sure took your time, Funaki-san." I smiled back. "You do understand that I have far more important business to handle?"

"Sure." He replied. "Come and meet Mishima Akihiro." He led me to the desk that was right in the middle of the room.

Sitting on the side of the white pieces was a boy with bright red hair, with long bangs and a mean stare. What is this? Minoru's little minion? His hair was short, flat, and cut in a style very similar to the Earl of Phantomhive from Black Butler. Pfft, even his gaze looks like his. Maybe he's permanently cosplaying? Though I guess he doesn't look that much like a kid.

Oh. Honey would make an excellent Earl of Phantomhive-

"Oi, hurry up and sit down." Akihiro said.

Hmph. No respect for elders, I see. I sat down across from him. "Make your move then. Let's finish this game quickly."

He lifted up a pawn. "I'm one of the best chess players in this club. Who are you?"

"Hayashi Rika." I picked up my pawn. "Pick up the pace please."

He glared at me. "President, why am I playing a lame kid like her?" He turned to Minoru, who was standing by my chair.

"I'm a third year, thank you very much. And make your move," I replied.

Minoru smiled. Geez, this club is just filled with jerks and arrogant little pricks. Except for Shuji and Tomiko, of course.

We started playing seriously. I ate up his pawns and a rook quickly. I really haven't played in a long time. Oops, there goes one of my bishops.

I glanced at my watch. We were probably half way through the game. I could almost see the ending now. Hm… I still had an hour and a half to go before the Hitachiins returned home. I picked up my queen. Time to start the mayhem.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later...<p>

"Checkmate."

There was a large crowd around us, possibly the entire club. I stood up, grabbing my school bag. Minoru hadn't moved at all since the game started. Well it'd barely lasted half an hour. "I've done my part, Funaki-san."

"Yes." He smiled. "Welcome to the Chess Club."

"I'll take my leave then. Thanks for the fun game, Mishima-kun." I smiled at the boy who was still staring at the board with a shocked look.

I left the room quickly, managing a wave at Tomiko. Time to begin my plan.

* * *

><p>"So exactly why am I here too?" Yukimura Naoko asked, combing her dark-brown hair with her fingers. The two of us were crouched in Hikaru's bathroom. They had two separate rooms but it seemed they preferred hanging out in Hikaru's room.<p>

"Because I need a friend to be here," I said with a smile. "And maybe act as a distraction."

Naoko sighed. "So I'm basically an accomplice?"

I grinned. "Yup!"

"And the reason why you're getting revenge on the Hitachiins is...?" Naoko asked as I poured the hair dye into the shampoo bottle.

"They brought in a ton of spiders and let them loose in the club room, and I hate spiders. So now it's time to get revenge on them." I replied cheerfully, screwing the cap of the shampoo bottle back on. Then I shook the bottle furiously. "Okay! To Kaoru's room next."

"I'm surprised the maids let us in though." Naoko said as we walked over to Kaoru's almost identical room.

"Yeah." We stepped into his bathroom. I wasn't sure if Kaoru even used this bathroom. He might use Hikaru's too. But just to be sure…

"So what happened to you and Shuji?" Naoko asked.

I picked up Kaoru's shampoo. "What do you mean?"

"Hm… Well after the ball, he didn't look very happy." She said, watching me pour the dye in.

"Um, he kind of…"

"Confessed?" She smiled. "He's surprisingly bold, isn't he? And you rejected him, huh? I'm not surprised."

"Eh…" This was a bad subject.

"Don't worry. Shuji will be okay! This isn't the first time he's been rejected!" Naoko said cheerfully.

"Doesn't that make it even worse?" I said. "Come on. Now let's find the twins' computers."

"Should I even ask?" We roamed around Kaoru's room. He had a laptop sitting on his desk. Perfect.

"Nope. The less you know the better off you'll be." I turned on his laptop and glanced at my watch. Fifteen minutes left. I better hurry. As soon as it was on, I plugged in my USB. I'd brought three, just in case something happened.

I quickly copied the file that Mickey had sent over to the desktop and opened it. The screen darkened and a "Do you want to run this program" window thing popped up. I clicked Yes. A different window came up, one that Mickey had programmed in. I typed in the password and then the window closed. The file that had been visible on the desktop had now disappeared. Good, it was running.

As I was turning the laptop off, Naoko called, "I found Hikaru's computer!"

Hurrying to his room, I found her sitting at Hikaru's desk clicking around on the computer. She was grinning. "This kid is into online video games it seems."

I plugged in a second USB and went through the same protocol. Then the sound of the front door opening, and a "Welcome home!" caused Naoko to gasp. I hastily unplugged the USB and shut the laptop off.

"Come on." I said, moving towards the bedroom door. I yanked it open and walked speedily out.

"Rika-senpai?!" Hikaru yelled. Naoko and I jumped at the twins' sudden appearance. They were fast.

"What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked, glancing at Naoko.

"I finished your guys' cake!" I said with a grin. I couldn't have the twins suspicious yet. Though there wasn't much they could do about the program, there was still one more act of revenge that could be easily sabotaged if they were suspicious.

"That was quick." Kaoru said.

"What were you doing in my room though?" Hikaru asked. Ah, he would of course be the more paranoid one.

"Well I finished the cake a lot earlier than I expected." I replied. "And Naoko-chan was over. So I figured why not just go to your house? But then you guys weren't there, and your maids said we could wait in your room. We were just looking around."

"Yukimura Naoko," Naoko said with a bow and somewhat nervous grin. I was so obviously lying, since I'd grabbed her from her house on my way to the Hitachiins.

"Nice to meet you." The twins said with a bow.

"Anyway, come see the cake!" I said with true excitement. It hadn't taken long for me to come up with the design, and I'd actually baked it yesterday.

But it's not like you could ice it when it's warm anyway, so of course the cake would be cold. Plus I'm pretty sure the maids stuck it in the refrigerator.

Yes, the twins' creepy twin maids.

They brought the cake out and set it on the dining table, bringing in a knife, forks, and plates. I'd warned Naoko beforehand not to eat the cake, even though I was going to offer her some.

"Ta-dah!" I said, gesturing at the cake.

It was a simple spice cake with vanilla frosting. There were two chocolate roses on the cake: a blue and an orange one. They were the twins' rose colors. I'd added some more spice to it to give it a stronger spicy taste. The twins liked spicy food after all.

I cut two slices and popped the respective rose onto the plate for each twin. "Here you go!" I said, handing the plates over.

"Ooh," The twins said.

"Spice cake!" Kaoru grinned, digging in.

"Want a slice, Naoko-chan?" I asked Naoko.

She shook her head. "No thanks. I don't like spice cake."

"You're not going to eat any?" Hikaru asked, though he'd already taken a bite.

"Do you have any idea how much spice cake I've already have?" I replied with an are-you-kidding-me look. "This is the first time I've tried making spice cake, you know."

"It's good." Kaoru said.

"Better than the one we usually get," Hikaru said.

"Thanks you guys!" I grinned. Little did they know what was one key ingredient in the cake… Mwahahaha.

"So do you guys think it's good enough?" I asked the twins, sitting down.

"Yeah." Kaoru said.

"The design is a bit plain though." Hikaru said.

"Are you complaining, Hika-chan?" I replied with a menacing smile. "I already sent the pictures to Kyoya anyway." I pulled out my cellphone. He hadn't replied back yet.

"Anyway, I'll leave this cake to you two." I said. "It's good then? This is going to be the finished product, you know."

"It's good!" The twins said.

I grinned. "Alright! Come on, Naoko-chan. Let's go." She stood. We said our goodbyes and left, climbing into the limo.

"I can't believe they ate it." She said, facepalming. "That's so… Just thinking about it. Ugh!" She shuddered.

I laughed. "Don't worry. They'll be fine."

She stared at me and then sighed. "Remind me not to make you mad."

"You'd never make me mad!" I grinned, hugging her.

She sighed quietly, mumbling something that sounded like: "Yeah, yeah." The twins were in for a surprise.

* * *

><p>The twins came to school the next day with gorgeous hair. Hikaru had bright green hair, and Kaoru had pink hair.<p>

"You guys look fabulous!" I told them when I sat down to eat lunch.

They glared at me, obviously irritated. "Someone put dye in our shampoo!" They said in unison.

"I think it looks great!" Tamaki said with a enthusiastic grin.

"Yeah, it's not bad!" Honey said with an equally bright grin. "Right, Takashi?"

"Ah." Mori nodded.

"And now people can tell you guys apart easily," Haruhi said with a smile. Aw, she's so optimistic.

"Yeah but it won't wash out!" Hikaru said.

"And now we need to get new shampoo." Kaoru said.

"And it's quite obvious who the prankster is." Hikaru added, staring at me with a knowing look.

I smiled at him. "Who is it then, Hika-chan?"

Kaoru sighed. "So it is Rika-senpai."

"What makes you think that?" Haruhi asked.

"She was over yesterday _and_ she was in our rooms." Hikaru replied calmly.

I smiled. "What proof do you have? Anyway, the spice cake design has been verified! We can begin production of the Hitachiin spice cake!"

"Cool." The twins said boredly.

* * *

><p>Mom still wasn't home yet. I wasn't sure when she'd be back. But I did find out that Minoru didn't show up at Chess Club until about thirty minutes after school. So, on Friday, I decided to pay the Host Club a brief visit.<p>

"Come on, Kyoya-senpai!"

"You have to help us!"

"Our computers are acting super weird!"

"They make random noises!"

"Some really weird noises!"

"And sometimes it'll freeze suddenly and a weird message will show up!"

"Saying, 'Don't mess with me.'"

"But we don't even know who this 'me' is!"

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, stepping into the Host Club room. I had to go to stupid Chess Club soon.

The twins were clinging onto Kyoya and making teary-eyed faces that they likely learned from Tamaki.

"Hey, Ri-chan!" Honey said, sitting nearby eating cake. I waved at him with a smile.

"Rika," Kyoya said, looking like he was ready to murder someone. "Fix their computers this instance."

I stared at him with big eyes and an innocent look, copied from the one and only Honey. "What? Why me? What's wrong with their computers?"

He glared at me. "It's obviously your doing."

I smiled. "What do you mean, _Kyo_-chan?"

"Want some cake, Rika?" Honey asked.

"Yeah!" I quickly ran over to eat some cake with Honey, if only to have an excuse to stop talking to Kyoya.

"What did Kyoya-senpai mean by that?" Hikaru asked. The twins had somehow recovered and were now leaning on each other and watching Honey and I eat cake.

"Want some cake, Hika-chan, Kao-chan?" Honey asked, holding out a plate to the twins.

"No thanks." Hikaru said. "We've been eating that spice cake all week, Rika-senpai."

I grinned. "That's great, Hika-chan."

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about our computers, would you?" Kaoru asked.

"We brought them here today." Hikaru said, pointing at the two laptops sitting on a nearby table.

I shook my head. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well, you see." Kaoru blushed. "They're making weird noises."

"What kind of noises?" I asked, keeping up my innocent act though I knew full well what kind of noises the computers were making. It seemed like Kaoru was thinking of the "inappropriate" sounds I'd sent to Mikiya.

"There's some beeping noises." Hikaru replied calmly. "And, like creepy, evil laughter and some strange mumbling in some other language."

"Maybe your computer has come to life!" I said with an excited grin.

Hikaru stared at me with a wtf look. I laughed. It was a great look. Those dull eyes and open mouth, as if questioning my sanity, weren't often seen on Hikaru.

"You do know something, huh, Rika-senpai?" Hikaru loomed over me with a grin.

"You should really tell us." Kaoru said, joining his brother.

"Sorry, I can't do much about it." I replied with a giggle. "It'll end in two weeks. I think. Actually, I have no idea. It'll stop. Eventually."

"What did you do?" Kaoru yelled.

"You killed our computers!" Hikaru yelled.

"And our hair!" Kaoru added.

"It's called revenge, dearies." I smiled. The twins froze then slowly turned to me.

"Revenge?" They repeated slowly. "For what?"

…

"You guys forgot?!" I yelled, standing up.

"Forgot what?!" They yelled back.

"The stupid spiders!" I waved my arms around. "Revenge for that you idiots!"

"OHHH!"

"Anyway," I said, crossing my arms in annoyance. "It's to teach you little boys a lesson! Never mess with me!" I pointed at them, only to realize that I was too short to really point right in their faces.

I stood up on my toes, leaning forward and yelling into their faces instead. "So there!"

They started laughing, rolling on the floor and clutching their stomachs. "Oh man! Rika-senpai's too short! Ahaha!"

I kicked the nearest twin lightly in the chest. The one thing I hate about myself is my shortness. But since it seems like I won't be growing any time soon, I've come to accept it. It doesn't mean I like being teased about it though!

I sat down with a smile. "You guys ate all of the spice cake right? No one else ate any of it?"

Kaoru regained his breath to reply. "Yeah. Just us."

I grinned. "Then it seems I've won after all."

Hikaru eyed me warily. "What do you mean?"

I started cackling evilly, though I nearly choked on my spit instead. So uncool. Oh well. "You seem to forget that _I_ baked the cake!"

They stared at me blankly. "So what?" They said.

"Hmph! Fools, you are ten years too young to try and compete with me." I grinned. "I added a special ingredient into that spice cake that you won't find anywhere else."

The twins froze.

"What was it?" Hikaru asked in a quiet whisper.

"Ants!"

The room fell silent. Kaoru slumped to the floor. Hikaru, meanwhile, was too frozen in place to move.

"Ants?!" Hikaru yelled.

"Gross!" Kaoru said.

"Don't worry. They were specially ordered ants that are meant to be eaten." I smiled. "And now, my revenge is complete."

"Rika-senpai," Haruhi said with a dead look. "You're sadistic after all."

Eh… Yeah. Probably.

Tamaki, on the other hand, was laughing as if he'd just won. "Finally someone has taught the twins a lesson!"

Kyoya sighed. "Please tell me the other cakes won't have such an ingredient."

"It'd fit in with their personality though, don't you think? Devil twins." I replied with a genuine smile. "Anyway, of course not! Those ants are pretty expensive, you know. Besides, at least you guys couldn't taste any of it, right?"

"Actually," Kaoru said. "I feel like there was something crunchy about that cake."

"Ew." Haruhi said.

"I agree." Hikaru said. The two twins were lying on the floor, as if they were dead.

"Please don't make any more cakes like that!" Honey said.

I nodded. "Yeah."

And thus, my revenge is complete!

* * *

><p><strong>Be prepared for next chapter. The fluff level will be increasing dramatically :D<br>**

**And what did you guys think of the revenge? Good? Too mean? Or not mean enough? **

**Review please! And thanks for reading! :)**


	25. Haunted houses suck - Never again!

**Chapter 25! Early update! Thanks for all the follows and faves! Oh, and I recently finished Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. Good shojo manga, pretty refreshing. :)**

**AwakenedSecrets:** Yes, Chiyo is a lot like Elizabeth! That super bubbly personality and love of cute things! ^^ And yes, haven't you ever seen those kinds of candy where there's a bug like cemented inside? Like grasshoppers and ants and all sorts of bug. It's so weird. But there are lots of countries where they eat bugs regularly. Lol, hope you like this chapter too! :D

**Independent Not in Love: **Thanks a lot! :D Hope you like this chapter! And what is your preference on fluff?

**Karnevalfreak59: **Lol, you might be too. :P Oh dear, Minoru better be careful then, lol. Glad you liked the revenge! :) And how much fluff do you like to have in this story?

**SmolderingBlackRose:** Thank you for reviewing! Hehe, hope there's enough fluff in this chapter to satisfy you. If not, please wait for the next one! ^^

**cloudsinwonderland: **Yes, being destructive with chess would be so cool! 8D Yay, I'm glad you liked the revenge! And no, what's a case study?

**The Writer Of The FanFiction:** Hello! :D It's nice to meet you! Thank you for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter and continue to read :)

**Pokemon Trainer White:** I know right? There are lots of bugs that can be eaten... Hope this chapter has enough fluff for you!

**Apocalypsebutterfly: **Hi there! :) Thanks for the review! And do you have any thoughts on how fluffy this story should be?

**DreamTrance14:** Hey~ Thank you for sticking for so long! :D You've been here since like the beginning, and that is so fricking awesome! I hope you like this chapter! :) Is it enough fluff? Or should there be even more?

**LegendOfZeldasKingdomHearts:** Wow, you have such a long username now, lol. But it's good to see you again! ^^ Updates are weekly on Mondays, like American Mondays. Thanks for reviewing!

**Guest:** Thank you very much! Hope you like this chapter!

**KatHAT: **Hi! Nice to meet you! I like your evil laugh! Don't you think evil cackles are just so cool sounding? MWAHAHAHAHA! Jk :D Thanks for the review!

**Auburn:** Thanks a bunch! Haha, I'm pretty sure there are. There are countries that regularly eat bugs. I went to Universal Studios this year and there was this one souvenir store that was selling like small boxes of like grasshoppers and some other common bug. And they were flavored as if they were chips! Like there was Sour Cream and Onion and some Cheddar Cheese flavor and it was just so strange...

**GIR3c:** Hello there! Lol thank you for your sweet review :D Weekly updates! No matter what, I will definitely update every week. ^-^ Hope you like this chapter too!

**Thank you all VERY much! I love you guys so much! :D And now, a fluffier chapter awaits! Hope you guys like it!**

* * *

><p>"I heard that you were late for the Chess Club today." Mom said.<p>

I tried not to sigh. I wasn't mad at her anymore, just tired. So fucking tired of fighting against her. Eventually, I'd lose the will to, and I'd just submit. Hmm… Hopefully that'll be ages and ages hence!

"Where did you hear that?" I replied in a calm voice.

"I am friends with Minoru-kun's father, and we speak often. I also heard that you made an excellent show of your first day, winning against the best first-year. Good job."

"Thank you."

She chattered on a bit more. Somehow her attitude towards me had changed. Before, she was always so cheerful and just talked about all sorts of random things. But now she was a bit colder. What? Was she waiting for me to strike back? Guess she'll have to wait several months for that.

So tired. I lied down on my bed, staring up at my ceiling. So. Tired. But wait! Today is Friday, right? Which means… tomorrow is Saturday!

I bolted out of my room, bursting into Kimiko's room.

"Kimiko! Kimiko-nee!" I yelled into the empty room. Her bathroom door opened, and she poked her head out.

"What?" She asked curiously. I hadn't been this excited in a looong time.

"Tomorrow!" I said. She tilted her head, staring at me with a worried look. "Tomorrow is Saturday, right?"

"Are you feeling alright, Rika?" She asked.

"It's Saturday right?! Yes!" I jumped, pumping my fists in the air. Then I twirled and skipped back to my room. "Saturday! Finally!"

In my room I jumped onto my bed, landing with a satisfied _oof._

"So what's going on?" Kimiko asked, coming into my room. She closed the door. Lately she was much calmer these days. Ah, what a boyfriend can do.

"So, uh, Kimiko, how far have you gotten with your boyfriend?" I asked, as she sat down on my bed.

I grinned when I saw her blush. "What are you saying, Rika? Wh- How far do you think I've gotten?"

I sat up. "What? You guys have already kissed?"

"That hasn't happened yet!" She yelled, blushing madly.

"Hm."

What should I wear tomorrow? It's here! It's finally here!

_Ring! Ring!_ I grabbed my phone. Mickey? So far he was the only one to call or email me, and I could understand why. For some reason, I didn't really want to communicate with the others until I'd actually met them in person again.

"Hey, Rika, you haven't told me anything yet." Kimiko said.

"Oh. Tomorrow… I'm going out!" I shouted, hopping around excitedly.

"Going out where?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"To the amusement park!" I grinned, twirling around a bit more. Mickey would have to wait.

"Are you going to answer your phone or not?"

"Oh. Okay. Hello?"

"Took you long enough. Is now a good time to talk?"

I watched as Kimiko left my room with a smile. She closed the door. Did she know something was going on? I sat down on my bed again.

"Yeah. Go ahead. What is it?"

"Summer's coming up."

"And?"

"We want to meet up."

* * *

><p>The next day, at ten in the morning...<p>

"OH NO!"

My door opened, and Azumi stepped in.

"This is bad, Azumi!" I yelled.

She sighed. "What is it, Rika-sama?"

"I don't have any pants!"

"Huh?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?! I don't have any pants! Azumi! I'm going out today! Today! At eleven, actually! A-And it's an amusement park too! That means roller coasters, Azumi! Roller coasters! And no one with a right mind would want to wear a dress or a skirt! Do you want the entire park to see my underwear?"

Azumi froze with a look of devastating shock. "Th-That is a serious matter after all, Rika-sama. I was wondering why you were up so early today."

"Help me!" I hollered. I was standing in front of my large closet filled with numerous skirts and dresses. There was pantyhose and pajama bottoms but not a single pair of pants.

"Shall we depart to get these pants of yours then?" Azumi asked.

"Yes! Immediately! We must be quick!"

"Yes!"

* * *

><p>Ten-thirty.<p>

I collapsed onto the kitchen bar, exhausted. The day had barely even begun and I was tired. I was wearing a simple white blouse and gray skinny jeans. My outfit for the day.

"Wait!" Azumi said with wide caramel brown eyes. "Don't tell me, Rika-sama, that you're going on a _date?!"_

I lifted my head wearily. "Yes."

She eyed my clothes. "Then this will not do at all, Rika-sama! Please wear a dress!"

"But an amusement park-"

"I understand. Allow me, then, to pick your outfit! Come, to your room, at once!" Azumi grabbed my arm and hauled me up the stairs. "Here, try this on!"

"Eh? But-"

"Hurry now!"

"Okay. Okay."

"And you can't just leave your hair like that, Rika-sama! Once you're done changing, come here, and I'll do your hair for you."

"Eh?! But my hair is-"

"Don't you know you have to dress up well for these occasions?"

"Yes b-"

"Don't argue with me, Rika-sama!"

"Uh… Fine."

* * *

><p>Eleven.<p>

The doorbell rang.

Gah! He's here! He's here! Ohhh nooo! I hope he isn't dressed up too formally. But not too casually either!

I tugged on the hem of my light blue dress. It was a pretty old one actually and was now a bit too short for me to wear by itself. It'd be scandalous! It had dark blue stripes on the sleeves and the lower half. I was still wearing the gray jeans though, so it was alright. Azumi had braided my hair into one plait, and I had my red bow in my messenger bag. It was likely it'd fall out if I went on a roller coaster, so it was safer to just carry it with me.

"Remember proper posture, Rika-sama!" Azumi said, smacking my back lightly.

"O-Okay!" I squeaked, grabbing my bag. "I'll be off then."

"Yes. Have fun." Azumi smiled softly.

I opened the door and quickly slipped out. I wasn't sure who Azumi thought I was going on a date with. Probably Minoru. I mean, who else? But, ugh, I'd rather relive the Hitachiin-spider incident than go on a date with _him_. Heck, I'd rather stand in a room with a bunch of spiders and nothing else for an entire hour than go on a date with that thing.

Honey was waiting on the steps with a smile. God, he is so handsome. And so cute. And just so amazing. He was wearing a black polo with a white collar and light blue jeans.

It's like a genie visited me and granted one of my wishes! A squeal escaped me before I could help it.

"Hey!" I said with a grin.

He hugged me. Don't think about. Don't think about- Oh my fricking Buddhas and Gods! Honey is hugging me! Not that this is new but… ahhh... I think steam is coming out of my head...

"Hey! Now let's go!"

"Okay!"

We climbed into his limo. Gahhhh! I'm still freaking out! I can't believe it! A date with Honey! I feel so lucky!

I was probably beaming like an idiot and acting as if I was in paradise. Honey glanced at me and grinned. "You look happy, Rika!"

"Cause I am!" I grinned back. "So where are we going?"

"To Tokyo's Disneyland!"

I blinked. Oh. "Really? Wow. Cool!"

He nodded. "Uh-huh! It'll be really fun! By the way, how long are we going to stay there?" Huh, I hadn't thought of that yet. We didn't agree on an end time, right?

I shrugged. "Whenever. I don't care. When we're done with everything. How about later in the evening? Maybe we can even eat dinner there."

"Okay!" Honey said.

We were quiet for the rest of the ride there. It didn't take long. The driver opened up the door, and I hopped out of the limo.

"WOW!" Immediately there was a Mickey Mouse in front of us, walking around and waving to people. He was high-fiving little kids and taking pictures with visitors.

"Have you ever been here, Rika?" Honey asked, coming to stand next to me.

"Nope! It's huge!" Up ahead, I could see numerous rollercoaster rides everywhere. "Let's go in!"  
>"Okay!"<p>

We went to the ticket booth to buy our tickets. "Two tickets." Honey said, pulling out his wallet.

"Wait, I'll pay!" I said, reaching for my own.

"It's fine." Honey grinned as he handed his credit card over. "It's a date after all." Gosh, the way he says it!

I blushed. "B-But I asked you out."

"And I suggested this place." He replied easily, taking the tickets. "Come on. Let's go in." He took my hand as if it was the most normal thing to do, and we entered the amusement park.

We were instantly bombarded by stores selling candy, food, and souvenirs. "OOH!" I said, trying to take in everything.

"What do you want to do first?" Honey asked, handing me a map. I opened it, and we looked at the list of the rides.

"Hey, there's a haunted house here." I said with a short laugh. I'd never been to one before. And besides, in manga, when the characters go to an amusement park, they _always_ go to the haunted house _and_ the ferris wheel, right?

"Want to go?"

"First thing?" I said. "Let's get lunch first. And let me treat you."

"Eh? But-"

"No buts." I said, folding the map up. We walked further into the park. There were a lot of restaurants here. "So what do you want to eat?"

"Anything's fine!"

Sheesh, the two of us were never going to get anywhere like this. Honey was so compliant. "Woah! Check out the castle! It's HUGE!"

Honey laughed. "You've seriously never been here before."

"Of course not. Wow. Can we go in it?" I stared up at the large castle. Was it Cinderella's? Probably.

"No. Well, I guess if you pay money you can. Enough money," Honey said. "Want to?"

I was very well aware of how rich the two of us were and all that, but I doubted that it was worth it. I shook my head. "Nah. Are you hungry though?"

"No."

"Let's go eat at this cafe then."

"Okay!"

It was a petite, fancy cafe, selling small sandwiches, afternoon tea, and pastries. We ordered some of the sandwiches and apple pie.

"So, um," I said, fidgeting across from Honey as we waited for our food. What should we talk about? Before, we'd always had things to talk about. What did we talk about anyway? "Ah, um, how is your studying going? Our exams are coming up, after all."

Honey smiled. "I haven't started studying yet actually. Not good huh?"

"Don't you always do well though?" I asked. Yup, just keep up the small talk. It'll be okay. This is… you know, a date. It's perfectly normal to be talking about school when on a date, right? Crap. Why didn't I Google what to talk about when on a date?

"I guess. Pretty well," He nodded. "But, Rika, aren't you very smart?"

"No, well, I read a lot of things. And math has always come easy for me. It-It's nothing." I smiled nervously. This was a kind of boring topic, wasn't it? What else could we talk about? The nice weather? But ah, that was a boring topic too.

"You don't think it's going to rain, do you?" Honey asked, staring at the light blue sky. Maybe he was thinking the same thing as me, hehe.

"No. There aren't any clouds." I replied. But in mangas, it often rains abruptly. That way, the hero and heroine can share an umbrella. I didn't bring an umbrella today though.

The food came, which, to me, was a blessing. We were quiet as we ate. It was kind of awkward to me, but Honey just grinned good-naturedly at me.

We'd only gotten one slice of apple pie to share. But that should be okay right? I took a bite. The crust was just the right balance of crispy and chewy, and the inside was sweet while maintaining its apple taste.

"Oh! This is good!" I said without much thought. I flushed a light pink, smiling bashfully. "It's good, Mitsukuni. Try some." I nudged the plate towards him. He picked up his fork and sliced a part for himself.

"Have you ever baked apple pie before, Rika?" Honey asked, chewing the apple pie thoughtfully. He nodded. "It is good."

"But not as good as cake, huh?" I smiled knowingly. "I've made apple pie before, a few times. I've never made my own crust before though, always just pre-made ones."

"I'm sure Rika's cakes are much better." Honey grinned. I bit my lip, turning away. I am not blushing. I am not!

Argh, Honey, are you just trying to make me blush?!

I heard him chuckle and glanced at him with a small frown. "Your face is all red, Rika!" His beaming face was adorable, and that certainly did not help to lessen the burning feeling on my face.

"You're so mean, Mitsukuni!" I said loudly. I pouted, making as cute of an expression as possible. Honey seemed to freeze, and I saw a light red color wash over his face. I smirked. "Mitsu-chan's blushing face is cute!"

He cleared his throat, staring anywhere but at me. "Should we go to the haunted house then?"

I laughed. "Okay!"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is going to be okay?" I asked, as we waited in line to go into the house. It was a huge haunted mansion, with red-brown bricks, tall towers, and a tan roof. "I've never been to a haunted house."<p>

"Even more reason to go into one!" Honey replied cheerfully.

"Hm." I was feeling a bit hesitant.

We entered the house and was told to wait in the small foyer. We could hear the screams coming from inside. I shuddered. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I wasn't very fond of horror movies, so I doubt this would be any better.

The room was lit dimly, and everything looked blue. The lady standing in front of the black curtain looked at us and smiled brightly.

"Go ahead in! Just kept following the path, and you'll make your way out." She said. "Good luck!"

"Good luck? Why do we need good luck, Mitsukuni?" I asked, as a sense of anxiety began creeping in. I could hear my heartbeat pounding away, faster than usual. Honey pushed the curtain aside, and we walked in.

"It's okay. Just enjoy it!"

"Enjoy what?"

We tread down the dark hallway. It was a rather narrow hallway that creaked occasionally. Here, again, everything was washed in a blue light. To our side were dusty boxes and fake cobwebs everywhere. Please let there not be any creepy spiders that hop out on us! That's what I hate the most!

We continued further. Honey was walking just a bit ahead of me. He was being very calm about all of this.

I just have to remember that all of this is fake, and nothing can hurt me.

"Mwahahaha!" A skeleton sprang out of a black coffin on my right, launching itself at me.

"KYAA!" I screamed. Instinct and adrenaline kicked in, and my right foot slammed into the skeleton head. It fell off and crashed into the opposite wall. "GAH! IT FELL OFF! IT FELL OFF!"

Honey burst out laughing. Then the skeleton head bounced off the other wall and began bouncing back and forth. What was it made of? It was acting like a bouncy ball!

"Mitsukuni! It's everywhere!" I screamed. He grabbed my hand, and we ran through the hall. I was freaking out the entire time, while Honey just laughed as if he were enjoying a comedy. The skeleton head hit my shoulder once, before returning to its bouncing mayhem.

We reached a small room and stopped to take a breath.

"That was… so creepy." I said.

Honey was still giggling, crouched over with his eyes shut. "But you were the one - that made it - bounce like that!" He gasped amidst chuckles. "You kicked its head off!"

"Yeah…" I said, now feeling a bit regretful. Hopefully the staff here could fix that...

In front of us was a three-paneled mirror, and it suddenly lit up. I jumped, as a ghostly girl appeared in the mirror. A girl's voice began talking ominously, and strange, mad cackles echoed around the room.

"This place is scary." I said, grabbing Honey's sleeve.

"Let's keep going then." We turned down the hallway, continuing onwards. More things sprang up and creepy laughter followed us everywhere. I managed to keep my cool though, sticking close to Honey's side. I was permanently latched to his sleeve. I wouldn't have minded holding his hand, except my palms were a bit sweaty. And that would be embarrassing right?

We reached a small corner where there was a window to our left, glowing a soft green color. It was like the color of a crazy witch's classic potion. Then, a spider dropped down out of the black ceiling in front of the window.

"Gyah!" I squeaked. It was a really short and strange sound, but that's what spiders did to me.

Shuddering, I buried myself into Honey's shoulder, keeping my eyes tightly shut. I hate spiders. I hate spiders! "Why do they always have to have spiders?!" I mumbled.

"It's gone now." Honey said.

This is just like a manga. Well in a lot of mangas, things don't turn out the way it's expected. Like the main girl character isn't afraid of things. But in the end, I'm clinging to Honey! Just like in mangas!

Hmph. How lame. How cowardly. How annoying.

I peeked up and saw that the spider had left. Which basically meant that it was dangling up above in the ceiling, waiting for the next group to come by.

Honey was smiling softly at me. It was a sweet and rare smile, compared to his usual flowery grin. I could feel a light burn in my cheeks and looked away. Good thing it was dark. What was he smiling like that for anyway?

"Let's go." I said, grabbing his arm and walking away swiftly.

He just grinned. "Don't you think this is fun?"

I stared at him and then shook my head firmly. "Never again."

"Hello. What a cute couple you two are," A creepy, wispy voice said from my right. I froze, whipping around.

It was wearing all black. Black billowy robes to be exact and a black hood too. But, no, it was its face that was super creepy. There weren't any eyes. Just black holes. But it wasn't a skeleton. And its lips were…

I didn't scream. Instead, my left fist came flying towards the abomination in front of me. It was instinct. Pure instinct. Somewhere in my head, I was aware that I was punching something that would never hurt me, but that thought couldn't get through. All I could hear was my heartbeat that had escalated drastically, hammering away as if screaming at me that I was in danger.

A warm hand wrapped around mine, stopping it before it could collide with the terrifying face in front of me.

"Eek!" The creepy thing said, recoiling away. "Y-You were about to punch me, weren't you?" It scrambled away quickly.

I swear I could have sweat-dropped, if this had been a manga. "Uh. Oops. S-Sorry!" I called after the figure that had disappeared somewhere. How embarrassing. I had just been about to punch someone!

"Rika..." Honey said kindly. "That was an actual person there."

I smiled sheepishly. "Heh, well, thanks for stopping me." Geez, I was so stupid! Honey must think I'm some crazy and annoying person now… Ugh.

"And at least not your left hand." He grinned. "I think we're almost through." Still holding onto my hand, we continued down the path.

I sighed. Ah. Never again!

* * *

><p>"Phew." I said, as we sat down to rest after the haunted house.<p>

Honey laughed. "It wasn't that scary."

"How come you didn't think it was scary? There were all sorts of weird things popping out at you!"

He shrugged. "But it's all fake. And it's not going to hurt us."

"That's true." I said. I unfolded the map. "Okay! Now it's time for the real fun! Roller coasters! Roller coasters! Which one do you want to ride?"  
>"Any of them!"<p>

"Okay! Then let's ride _all_ of them! Here, we'll just work our way around in a circle. So let's start with this one."

"Okay!"

* * *

><p><strong>This is only part one of the chapter date. I originally was aiming for one chapter but as you can see... yeah it'd be waaay too long. The second half is even longer and has a whole lot more fluff scenes. I'll be posting the second half later this week, still need to edit it some more.<strong>

**And everyone, how much fluff do you like? Lots of fluff? Or do you think this chapter had too much fluff? Please, all thoughts are greatly appreciated! Review!**

**And, thank you all for reading! :D**


	26. It's always the ferris wheel ride

**AwakenedSecrets:** You're always the first reviewer :) Lol, glad you liked it. Yess, the sword skills would be really awesome actually. Hopefully this chapter has even more fluff in it!

**cloudsinwonderland:** Lol, not sure how kawaii that'd be but it seems hilarious to me :D And how is Rika's mom weird? Like is it the way she acts? Thank you for your review! Hope you like the fluff in this chapter.

**SmolderingBlackRose:** Thank you for the review! Ok! Seems fluff is quite popular lol. Hope you like this chapter! ^-^

**Karnevalfreak59:** Lol, just a mysterious disappearance. A mystery that even Holmes can't solve XD Don't worry. He'll eventually be disposed of... just perhaps not in the way you'd find satisfying. Thanks for the review!

**LegendOfZeldasKingdomHearts:** Thank you! Maybe try taking writing classes at school? They usually help. :)

**Independent Not in Love:** I just read half of your profile and it's very interesting :D I liked it. So if you like angst, have you watched Clannad before? That is definitely full of angst and fluff and things that make you laugh. It is the best anime ever! Anyway, thanks for the feedback!

**DreamTrance14**: Hehe, nice reaction. Virtual hug time! (づ￣ ³￣)づ Isn't that so cute? Hope you like this chapter!

**Guest: **Hello! So there are like 5 different guests and I have no idea who's who. Are you guys all the same person or something? I'll just respond to you all since it'd be hard to know anyhow right? Thank you all for the review and reading my story! :D I really appreciate it. The reviews were really cute and funny, hehe. And no, I am not Japanese. After reading manga for so many years, and watching some anime, you naturally pick up on its culture and stuff right? Plus there was some research involved. Thanks again!

**And now, the chapter! Hope you guys like it! This is part 2 of the date!**

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the two of us sat down on a nearby bench. My feet were tired. I wasn't used to standing and walking around so much. Hah… We'd rode so many roller coasters. Ah, I love roller coasters! They're so much fun! Though I'm not very fond of the stomach-dropping feeling, it's certainly tolerable.<p>

"That was fun!" I said. My hair must be crazy right now. I tugged at the braid. "Hey, my hair is sticking out right?" I turned to Honey.

He smiled then grinned. "Yeah."

I pulled the hair tie out, letting my hair fall down. Running a hand through my hair, I turned back to Honey. "Want to go check out those games over there?"  
>"Okay!"<p>

He really didn't seem to care what we were doing. He went with me on every single crazy ride, even the one where you just drop straight down. Those are pretty scary, and I only ride those kinds once.

"Want to play any?" He asked, as we roamed around the small booths.

"They're usually impossible to win though." I said. There were a lot of shooting games, a few tossing games, and that classic smack-the-spot-thing game. What were those called? "Oh! Mitsukuni, try this one!" I tugged him over to the smack-the-spot thing.

"What is this?" He asked, staring at the tall meter and the bell on the top.

"Come on over, you two!" The guy that was tending the booth said. "Want to test your strength? You take this hammer and hit this spot with all your strength. And this meter here will measure how strong you are!"

"Huh?" Honey said, glancing at me.

"You're strong right? You should try it!" I said with a grin. "If you hit it hard enough, the bar will go all the way to that bell and ring it. And then, you can get a prize!"

"Ohh."

"See these prizes, kids? Don't you want to get your cute little girlfriend there a stuffed animal?" The game attendant said, pointing at the animals on display.

Kids... Cute little… This guy pisses me off.

"We're not kids, mister." I said with my fake smile. "We're high school third-years."

"Eh-What?" The guy replied with a shocked look. Then he smiled in a patronizing way. "Sure. Sure you are!"

Really? Is he humoring us? Well damn him then.

"Let me try then!" Honey said, pulling out a 100 yen coin. These games were pretty cheap but really hard to win at. The guy handed Honey a small hammer, even though there was a bigger one right next to him.

"What's that hammer for then?" Honey asked, pointing at the larger one.

"That one is for the bigger kids." The guy said with a smile. "This small one will do for you."

"I want to use that one though." Honey grinned innocently.

The guy picked up the hammer and handed it over reluctantly. "Here, I'll let you pick then. This one might be too heavy for you though."

Honey took the hammer and passed it back and forth between his hands. "Hey, it's pretty light, Rika."

"What? That hammer is fifteen pounds, you know." The attendant said, hands on his hips.

Honey tossed the hammer at me, and I caught it easily. I smiled. "You're right, Mitsukuni. Fifteen pounds is so light." I threw it back.

"Okay. I'll give it a try then!" He grinned at me.

I nodded. "Yeah! Do your best! Just don't break it okay? Or else we'll have to pay."

He looked like he could sweat-drop. "Uh. Yeah, right." He lifted the hammer up above his head and then slammed it down on the spot.

I watched with anticipation as the bar shot up towards the bell.

_Ring!_

"Yay! You did it!" I hugged Honey from behind. He turned to me with a bright beam.

"Yeah! That was pretty fun!" He replied. He handed the hammer back to the attendant. "So can I get a prize now?"

"Uh. Y-Yeah." He cleared his throat and then pointed at the animals. "Go ahead and pick one then."

The two of us went over to the animals. There was a huge purple gorilla and several others that were average sized.

"You can take the gorilla, if you want to." He said. "It is the first place prize."

"Do you want the gorilla, Rika?" Honey asked.

"What? Pick what you want, Mitsukuni." I replied.

"But I want to give it to you." He said.

I blushed. Wow. How do I reply to something like that? "Eh, well, then... just pick one that you think is cute."

"Hm. The gorilla isn't very cute though." Honey turned back to the various animals.

"I agree."

"How about this one then?" He picked up a smaller one. It was a light beige colored, little bear, wearing a pink shirt with Tokyo Disneyland printed on it.

"That's a third place prize!" The attendant said. Then he sighed. "Ah, whatever. Take what you want."

"Okay." I said with a smile.

Honey handed the little bear to me. "Here you go then!"

"Are you sure?" I held the bear up closer. Wait, it wasn't just a pink shirt. It was a pink hoodie! "Oh, Mitsukuni, look." I pulled the hoodie up. "Hey! Hey, look, it's bunny ears!"

"What?"

The small hood had white bunny ears on top. I laughed. "Aw, it's so cute!" Now the bear was a beige bunny.

Honey laughed too. "What are you going to name her?"

"Her, huh?" I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. You pick."

The attendant dude suddenly cleared his throat. "If you two are done, then please take your lovey-dovey act elsewhere."

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. How many times was I going to blush today? Honey's cheeks were dusted in light pink too. Uwahh, we're both blushing!

"Uh," I said, suddenly feeling nervous.

Honey smiled kindly. "Let's go sit down somewhere then."

"Okay."

We went back to the bench. The little bear was in a sitting position. So cute. Haha, for some reason I can't help but imagine that if Usa-chan and Hiro-chan had a kid… it'd turn out like this…

…

What did I just imagine?

Gah! Whatever. I don't want to think about it. But if it's like that then…

"How about Aiko-chan?" I said rather absentmindedly.

"Aiko?" Honey repeated.

Ah. Wait a minute. The meaning of that… literally means love child… I blushed again, probably an even deeper red. "It-It doesn't have to be that- I mea-"

He just grinned. "Okay. Aiko-chan then."

I smiled then unzipped my bag. "She can stay in here." I tucked the bear into my bag, nestled near my precious red bow. "By the way, Mitsukuni, don't you want to eat some cake?"

"Is there any cake here?!" He asked, getting visibly excited.

"Of course! Let's see…" I unfolded the map.

"Here." He pointed at a restaurant.

"Hey they have ice cream here too."

"Let's go then!"

* * *

><p>It was a small store that specialized in chocolate. Along with their expensive, rich chocolate, they were also selling various kinds of chocolate cake, hot chocolate, and chocolate ice cream.<p>

It was expensive, in commoners' terms at least.

We got two slices of chocolate cake and a single ice cream cone, sitting down outside under the shade. It was already late afternoon.

"Is it good?" I asked, watching Honey dig into his slice. With one hand holding on to the ice cream, I sliced my fork through the layers of cream and then the cake. It looked more like sponge cake, and it was soft and moist.

He nodded. "It is!"

I guess he really doesn't mind, so long as it's sweet and doesn't taste that bad. I had a few more bites before pushing the plate towards him. "Here, Mitsukuni. I'm not that much of a fan of this kind of cake."

"Really? I think it's good." Honey said, hovering his fork above my slice.

I smiled. "Go ahead. Plus there's still the ice cream."

It was a classic, sugar cone with chocolate ice cream. The ice cream was very creamy and rich with chocolate. It was delicious and was drizzled with hot fudge.

Mm. It was very sweet too.

"Good?" Honey asked.

"Yup!" I held the cone out to him. "Have some."

He bit into it while staring into my eyes. Oh my… I blushed and broke eye contact. There was no way I could stare into those warm, brown eyes for so long! I immediately kept on eating the ice cream, trying to keep the screaming thought quiet: "It's an indirect kiss!"

I failed, blushing an even darker red color, whipping my head down to stare at my lap Gahhh.

Then I smiled delightfully. At least this kind of gut-wrenching feeling is a good one. Honey grinned back sweetly. Surprisingly, flowers didn't magically pop up to encircle him.

Afterwards, we went on a few more easy rides that wouldn't make us want to throw up. It was mainly the little kid rides, where we sat around and stared at cool and pretty things. At six, we decided to get some food to eat.

"Hey, wait, I saw people selling takoyaki earlier!" I said, as we were roaming the streets. "You've had takoyaki before right?"  
>"Yes." Honey smiled.<p>

"But not street-side takoyaki right? It's completely different! I think. Okay. Let's go find takoyaki. Takoyaki. Want some cotton candy later? Oh and they have waffles here too! I wonder what they'd be like for dinner." I glanced at Honey. This entire day he'd just been smiling and laughing. What was he thinking behind that smile of his? What if he thought this was boring? What if he actually didn't like riding on roller coasters but was too nice to speak up about it? What if he wasn't feeling well?

"Hey! W-Wait a minute!" A granny was yelling at some little boy, who was running away with something in his hands. "M-My wallet! Come back!"

I sprinted after the boy without a thought. Closer and closer. Then I leapt and tackled the boy to the ground.

"Ouch!" He yelled, wiggling under me.

"Give back that old lady's money!" I said, sitting on top of him.

He glared at me. "Get off me, you stupid kid!"

"Who's a kid?!" I said, pinching his cheek. "Huh? What are you, a middle schooler?"

"Like you can talk! You look like you're a fifth grader!" He said with a scowl. He had dark brown hair that spiked in the weirdest directions… like left and right. And his green eyes were surprisingly bright. He was wearing a blue and white baseball cap with some name on it and a long, brown coat. What in the world? It was spring already. What was he doing wearing so much clothes?

"Who's a fifth grader?" I growled, leaning over him. I spotted the pink wallet in his hands. "Give that back!"

Another hand scooped the wallet out of the boy's hands.

"Oh, Mitsukuni." I said, calming down at the sight of the blond boy standing in front of me.

"You might want to get off him now." Honey said with a oddly strained smile. I took his hand, hopping onto my feet.

"Hey, kid." I said, as the boy stood up, dusting himself off.

He glared at me. "What?"

"How much money do you want?" I asked.

"What?" His eyes widened for a moment, and he looked more innocent for a while. What a kid like him should look like.

Honey pulled out his wallet. "Would 10,000 yen be enough?"

"Ten thousand?!" The boy said, staring at the two five thousand bills in Honey's hand. "Th-That's a lot!"

"Wait, wait, let me give him the money." I pulled out my wallet.

"I don't want your money!" The boy yelled. "How come you guys got so much anyway? That's so creepy! What are you guys, drug dealers?"

I raised an eyebrow, then clapped a hand on his shoulder. Leaning forward with a smile, I said, "We're rich brats from rich families. So you should just accept my pity and take the money, kid." I held out the two five thousand bills.

He frowned and snatched one of the bills from me. "Fine! Geez, you weirdos!" He stuck his tongue out and then ran away.

"Why did he need money?" I said, crossing my arms, puzzled. "If he can get into this park, he must have some kind of money. Maybe that was a well-off kid, actually."

Honey shook his head, shrugging slightly. "Hm. Let's just return this."

The granny approached us with a kind smile. "Thank you for that, kids. Youngsters these days are so lively." There were two children, probably grandchildren, that were running around her feet yelling for ice cream.

After some talk, we finally made our way to the food.

"Food. Food!" I said with delight, as the delicious aromas filled the air.

"Oh, it smells good!" Honey said. His eyes were glittering. I giggled at the sight. "Hey, look, there's yakisoba there too!"

There were several booths lined up selling food. We got ourselves some yakisoba (fried noodles and veggies) and takoyaki (fried octopus balls).

"Here, Rika." Honey said, turning to me with the takoyaki. He had one held out on a toothpick. He smiled mischievously. "My turn."

I managed to beat down the blush, taking a bite into the takoyaki. It burst in my mouth, hot and savory. Even though it nearly burnt my tongue, it was the most delicious takoyaki I'd ever had.

I grinned, licking my lips. "It's great!"

Honey stabbed another takoyaki and had one himself. He beamed. "Yeah!" We then each had a bowl of yakisoba. Then we wandered to a different place and bought some waffles and cotton candy. So much food…

"I'm stuffed!" Honey said, stretching. I nodded.

"Is this it then?" I asked. The map was in front of us once again. We'd went on almost all the rides that were worth it, only skipping some of the really lame little kid rides.

"Oh, the huge ferris wheel!" Honey said. He glanced at the sky. "The sun's setting too! Come on! Let's go ride the ferris wheel!"

"Okay!"

The second, most cliche ride in mangas. Wait. The sun is setting too? What is with this super cliche situation? Sun setting, ferris wheel ride. Is there a view of the river too?

Holy crap! There is!

We were one of the last ones to get onto the ride. We climbed into our cart and the door shut.

The sun was slowly melting away into the river. It was a magnificent view. The water and sky were bathed in a yellow-orange glow. There were a few birds flying in the air, and some ducks waddling lazily in the water. The sight was a hard one to find in such a busy city.

"It's beautiful." I murmured as the two of us sat watching the sun.

"Mm." Honey replied quietly.

The silence after a day of constant noise was relaxing. But… the fact that we were in a ferris wheel was not. I mean, come on! It's a ferris wheel! Interesting things always happen in the ferris wheel!

What can I expect? A confession? No. That's impossible. Should I confess? Gahhh, no, even more impossible. I'm still not even sure what Honey is thinking half the time.

I sighed quietly.

Honey glanced at me. "What is it?"

He noticed that? Dang, he's so observant. I shook my head and smiled. "Nah. Just tired from today. It was really fun though."

He smiled back. It was another one of those soft smiles, as if what he was looking at was so… so? I didn't know either. It wasn't condescending. It was something positive. Like, he was really enjoying what he was looking at.

"It was fun!" He grinned in a more Honey-esque way.

"You know, Mitsukuni, it was because of you that I won the all-girls martial arts tournament." I said, staring out the window to avoid his gaze.

"Huh?" He asked. I could see him tilting his head in a questioning way through the corner of my eye.

I turned to him with a shy smile. "Well, when I started learning martial arts, I heard about you. Haninozuka Mitsukuni! A great martial artist with amazing potential! I heard how you were defeating adults and you were only like six. So I thought: 'Wow. I want to meet him.' So I decided, maybe if I win the tournament, you'd hear about me. And then maybe you'd want to meet me, and maybe we'd meet each other. Do you know what I mean?"

He grinned and nodded. "Yeah. Kinda."

"So I trained really hard that year and then won the tournament. And then the next year, bam, you won the tournament! That was really exciting." I grinned and chuckled nervously. What was I saying?

It was true though. I'd always wondered what the great Haninozuka Mitsukuni looked like.

"I thought you'd be a big, tall, and buff guy. Like, you know, maybe a bit more like Mori. But actually you're not!"

"Is that good?" He asked with an almost worried expression.

"Yeah! It's proof that shorties are strong!" I said, punching the air.

He laughed. "Mm."

"Plus it means you're even more amazing. Since you don't exactly have a physique that would be expected. Do you know what I mean?'

He nodded. "Yeah."

We were nearing the top. I stared out in the other direction and watched as the large amusement park slowly shrank. The people below had become very small, and I could see the rollercoaster rides zooming by. The horizon stretched on, as the light blue sky slowly darkened.

"Mitsukuni, what are you thinking right now?" I asked softly.

He glanced at me. "What do you mean?"

"You're always smiling. And it's like, a lot of the times, you're hiding your thoughts and feelings behind that smile." I said. Then I shrugged. Maybe I was wrong. "I mean, th-that's what I think. I'm just curious. What are you thinking right now?"

"Hm." He glimpsed outside again. "Well, I'm thinking that the view outside is very pretty. And that today was fun." He looked at me with a sly smile. "But, mostly, I'm just happy that I'm here with you."

I blushed, just a bit. My heart was being noisy again, beating so quickly that I felt like it might overheat. If that was possible, which it isn't. Thank goodness.

"What are you thinking then, Rika?" He asked, turning to completely face me.

"Same." I could feel my face heating up once again. "It was really fun today. But a big reason why it was fun is because… I came here with you."

I stared at him, and he smiled warmly. Maybe…We fell quiet after that, gazing out the window and watching the sun fall further and further. I looked up at the sky. The moon was already out. It was so tiny and dim compared to the sun. But the moon had always been prettier, to me, than the sun. You can't even look at the sun directly. But the moon, you can. You can admire it as long as you like.

I smiled.

They began unloading the people. The thing with ferris wheels is, when they unload, it takes a while. They have to stop at each cart, get the people out, get some new people in, and then move on to the other cart. Since we were one of the last ones to get on, it'd take a while.

It seems like nothing big is going to happen. I thought, feeling rather disappointed. Or, maybe I should do something big? But, what?

Or I could just sit here and enjoy this moment. Right now. My heart is squirming all over the place. I swear, if I open my mouth, I feel like all my guts and organs inside will come out. Ew, that's gross just imaging it.

We reached the top for the second time. They were half way done unloading.

I swallowed. My throat was dry. I could barely think of anything other than the fact that it was just Honey and me. And, for some reason, Mori's words kept coming back: "You can trust Mitsukuni."

"Mitsukuni," I said, staring at the hands in my lap. I swallowed again when I knew he was looking at me. I had to say it. "Um. I… I'm engaged."

"What?" He asked rather loudly, leaning forward immediately. I glanced at him with a faint blush, then nodded. He seemed very concerned, as if _he_ was the one getting married to some weirdo.

"I don't want to marry him, of course. It wasn't my choice. My mom forced it on me. A-And, I don't even like the guy."

"What?" He said again, this time in a disbelieving whisper. His eyes were wider, and his mouth open.

"Mitsukuni. Please, help me. " I said quietly, gripping my dress tightly in my hands. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to…"

Honey leaned back in his seat. It seemed like he'd calmed down. "Okay. But-" He paused, staring up in thought. "Your mom isn't going to make your sister marry that guy right?"

Oh! I nodded. "Yeah, she gave up after Kimiko's fight."

"Then…" Honey's gaze met mine. Something seemed to pass between us, and I knew what he meant.

"Uh, but I don't have a boyfriend." I said with a nervous smile, rubbing the back of my neck. "And it'd have to be someone Mom approved of. Someone like..."

I stared into those brown eyes that were always full of confidence and kindness. He smiled in that devilish way again.

"Uh. Don't tell me." I said.

"I'll be your boyfriend." He said with a grin.

"Uh, but, uh… Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"It's just pretend, though, right?" I smiled anxiously.

He stared at me for a short moment, then blinked and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, of course." He smiled.

"But, will it work?"

He shrugged. "Guess we'll have to see." Then he grinned again.

I was at a loss of words, sitting there. Was this the big thing that I'd been expecting? Maybe this would work. How could my mom _not_ approve of Mitsukuni? He was the heir to the Haninozuka family. He was strong. He was handsome. And my family has been friends with theirs for a while.

"Maybe this will work," I said. Relief washed over me, albeit a bit mild. I grinned. "Yeah! Maybe this will work!"

The ferris wheel stopped once again, and our door opened. I hopped out and waited as Honey followed. I sent Azumi a message to send the limo over.

We started walking to the entrance. The sky was darkening gradually. The sun had vanished from our view, leaving only a few remaining streaks in the sky. We stopped right in front of the gates, not quite out of the park yet.

"Thanks for today, Mitsukuni." I said with a warm smile. "It was really fun. And great. And amazing. And-" I stopped myself, blushing. Then I laughed.

Honey joined in with that sweet, delightful laughter of his.

"It was fun!" He said. "Let's come again another time."

I nodded. "Okay. And, thanks for everything else too."

He raised a questioning eyebrow. It looked funny on Honey, who was usually so calm, understanding, and innocent. I grinned. "You're always here, and you're always helping me. It's… Just thanks! For everything you've done."

And before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned toward him and kissed him on the cheek. I saw him blush, and his ears turned a bright pink. It was so cute. I was madly blushing myself too.

"Um, well. Bye then!" I said, waving.

"Bye." He waved, looking almost dazed. I ran out of the gate and towards the waiting limo.

I can't believe I just did that! Ah! That was so bold of me. I can't believe it! What is with me today? Well, at least, I hope that actually felt like a kiss. What if it felt more like I crashed my face into his cheek? Cause I've never kissed someone before! Ahhh! But he blushed so I suppose that's a good sign? What if he's grossed out? What if, the moment I left, he just wiped his cheek and was like "Ugh!"?

I sighed. My face was burning. Thank goodness Honey couldn't see me like this right now.

The driver opened the door for me and I quickly slid in, only to find myself facing the last two people I wanted to see: Mom and Funaki Minoru.

* * *

><p><strong>Dun dun dun dun! Jk. So, did you guys like it? Finally some development huh? <strong>

*** Note: Tokyo Disneyland is not at all like it was described above. I did some research and guess what? There aren't any ferris wheels or a haunted mansion! It's basically like Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Or Disneyland in California. But I decided to change it just to fit the story. They do have like a haunted mansion _ride_ but that's not fun, right? And there probably isn't a river either. Sorry for any misconceptions of Tokyo's Disneyland :) ***

**Also, are there getting to be too many OCs? I'm trying to limit it, cause the number is just like going crazy. Do you guys want like a list of OCs, who they are, and their relationship with other characters? Nothing too fancy, and it'd probably be on my profile page. Don't want to interrupt the story. Anyway, please, any feedback on this is greatly appreciated!**

**Please review! And thank you very much for reading! See you guys on Monday! :D**


	27. A failed counterattack and revenge

**Yo everyone! Happy Memorial Day to all Americans out there! Let's say our thanks to the veterans who have given their lives for us today :) **

**AwakenedSecrets: **Your reviews are always so cute! Thank you! :) I'll probably put a short list of OCs on my profile page then. Hehe, thanks for the feedback. I'l continue putting in fluff scenes then.

**Independent Not in Love:** Thanks for the review! Do you have any suggestions or things that could be improved in this story? :D Hope you like this chapter too!

**SmolderingBlackRose:** Okay, thank you for the feedback and review! Anything you think can improve the story? ^^

**DreamTrance14:** Lol, great response. Thanks for reviewing! :D

**The Writer Of The FanFiction: **Nice review :) Very sweet, short, and simple. Thanks!

**MadokaMagica1998:** Hello there! Thanks for reviewing, and I'm really glad you liked it! ^-^

**GIR3c:** Yay, Despicable Me! XD Lol thank you for the review!

**Guest: **You who are a hopeless romantic, I'm going to give you a nickname, 'kay? How about... Hope? I don't know, if you can think up a nickname that'd be great, but I get your feelings. Don't you just want to meet that awesome dude who's sweet and kind and gives you all his attention? :D Thanks for the review!

**Guest:** Any nickname for you? And thank you so much for the feedback! I read a lot of manga and watch just a bit of anime, like Clannad, Code Geass, and Steins;Gate (for anime). Mangawise I really like One Piece, Kimi Ni Todoke, and a whole lot more. For the entire list, go to my profile page lol. Oh, and I watched Ouran and then read it, but the manga has a much better ending. So most likely following the manga. Again, thanks for the advice and feedback and the sweet review! :D Hope you like this chapter too.

**Hope you guys like the chapter!**

* * *

><p>I could feel the bubbly happiness in me fizzling away. I forced a smile. "Hello, Mom. You're back."<p>

She nodded. "Yes. I'll be leaving again soon though. But, we must continue our discussion from last week. You said that you had a reason why you wouldn't - why you _couldn't_ - marry Minoru-kun. Please tell us today."

"But-" I glanced at Minoru, who was sitting next to my mom with his legs crossed and a smirk on his face. Argh, I really want to wipe that arrogant smirk off his stupid face. "Like I said last time, I don't want to say it in front of him." I gestured at Minoru. When I had first said that, I hadn't actually had any good excuse, but only said it in an attempt to get myself out of the engagement. Thank goodness I'd said something like that though. Now I could try and persuade Mom to back out thanks to Honey.

"Any reason you have to say to me, you can say to him." Mom said, crossing her arms. Wow, what a cliche statement. Couldn't she have thought of something a bit more original?

I sighed, staring at my feet. "Well. I already have a boyfriend too."

"Since when?" Mom asked. She didn't seem surprised at all. Ah, she must think I'm lying. Since… What could I say? Since last week? But that was an outright lie.

"Since today," I said, blushing. But for Honey and I to be dating, wouldn't that require a confession? Well, there was something similar to that. I suppose. Ahh…

"That would explain your face." Mom mused quietly. She took a deep breath, obviously thinking.

"My face?" I looked up, confused.

"I've never seen it so red before." Mom didn't seem upset, or surprised, or anything for that matter. Just calculating, carefully planning out her next move. I was playing a dangerous game of chess against her, and she had the greatest advantages in her hands.

Minoru, on the other hand, was frowning.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Why should I tell you?" I replied back with creased brows. I pouted ever so slightly. "If the school finds out…"

"Alright," Mom said.

"Alright what?" I asked, snapping my attention back to her.

The limo stopped in front of a white and robin's egg blue mansion. Mom turned to Minoru with a smile. "Thank you for accompanying me today." The driver opened the limo door.

"But," Minoru glanced outside at what I presumed was his house. Mom's smile brightened, and he shrugged. "Thank you." He bowed slightly then exited the limo.

The limo began to move once again.

"Now, who is your boyfriend? And why were you at the amusement park in the first place?" Mom asked.

"You don't know?" I said. I would have thought Azumi would have told her. "I went on a date, with Mitsukuni."

"Haninozuka Mitsukuni? He's your boyfriend?" Mom smiled slightly when I nodded. "Hm. How interesting."

"What?" I asked curiously. Mom was so weird these days.

She smiled brightly. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You've admired his martial arts skills for a long time."

"So then…"

She raised an eyebrow, prompting me to continue.

"Do I still have to marry Funaki-san? He… I don't really like him, you know."

"And you like Mitsukuni? Hah." Mom let out a harsh, short bark of laughter. "What a joke. Did you think that just because Kimiko got out of the engagement since she has a boyfriend, that you can too? It's obvious that this is just a ploy. No. You're still engaged to Minoru-kun. He's a fine, young man. Once you get to know him a bit more, you'll come to like him."

"What do you mean it's just a ploy?" I said, my voice raising in pitch. Okay, yes. It was true that Honey and I weren't _really _dating, but my feelings for him… those were real. "Mom, you... I really do… l-love… Mitsukuni." I blushed madly. Gah! I just confessed! To the wrong person too!

Mom's smile vanished. Maybe she knew that I was being serious.

"Regardless, you're still arranged to marry Minoru. Once you get to know him a bit more, I'm sure your feelings towards him will change. He's an excellent boy, very smart and handsome. If you want to, however, I can push the marriage to after you graduate from university."

Geh. Mom wanted me to marry Minoru the moment I graduated from high school. Like hell that'll happen!

"Please," I said, hanging my head.

"You can keep up your fake little relationship with Mitsukuni, if you'd like. But, I'm warning you. Be careful or your feelings will be easily tread upon. Did you know your father and I were an arranged marriage? And we like each other."

"Yes that's true, but you had years to get to know each other." I said. "And Minoru, he-he's just so pushy, and I don't like that."

"Hm." Mom was silent for a moment, then she glanced at my left hand. My wrist and pinky were still lightly bandaged and kept in a position that limited movement. Uh-oh. Her eyes narrowed. "What happened to your hand?"

"I fell down some stairs and fell on it oddly." I said with an embarrassed smile.

"Are you alright then?" She asked, with what even looked like mild concern. Wow, is she actually worried? It's been a long time since I saw that look.

"Yeah. I sprained my wrist and broke my pinky finger. But the rest is perfectly fine." I smiled in a hopefully reassuring manner.

"Did Azumi deal with the medical bill? You did visit a hospital right?"

"No and yes. I paid for it myself."

"She didn't go with you to the hospital?"

I shook my head. "Mitsukuni took me there."

"Hm. How much did you have to pay?"

"Huh?" I looked at Mom again. She held her steady gaze. "Wha-"

"Do I honestly need to repeat myself, Rika? You clearly heard what I said." Mom replied patiently.

"It wasn't much really. I still have enough money… if that's what you're worried about. Besides, I should pay for it, since it was my fault anyway."

Mom smiled. "A sense of responsibility? How did you even fall down the stairs? You have good balance after all."

"Yeah, well, my footing was just a bit off at that moment." I said with a smile and shrug.

Mom was quiet for a moment then she sighed. "Hm." The limo stopped again, and the door opened.

"Are you leaving already?" I asked, looking up. We were at the airport, or more precisely, we were on a runway near my family's private plane.

Mom nodded. "Yes. I'll be back in a few weeks. Probably before summer break starts. Keep me updated on any news, alright, Rika?"

I nodded. "Yes. Have a safe trip."

"Goodbye dear." She kissed me lightly on the cheek then climbed out of the car. A moment later, the limo driver drove me back to the main house.

"How was your date?" Azumi asked when I returned.

"Good." I sighed. So tired. "But after it, there was some trouble with Mom. How come you didn't tell her I went on a date anyway?"

Azumi smiled. "Did I have to?"

I shook my head, heading up the staircase. "I'll be in my room then."

"Yes, Rika-sama." She bowed.

"Thanks, Azumi."

* * *

><p>"Rika?"<p>

My bedroom door opened. A shaft of light fell in. Ugh. I couldn't sleep these days. It always took a long time before I fell asleep. There was something screwed up about my sleeping ways. "What?" I mumbled.

The door closed, and someone slipped into my bed. I rolled over towards the person.

"Hey, Rika." Kimiko whispered.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, yawning. I was tired, but my stupid mind wouldn't shut off. It just kept running over all the scenes of Mom and Minoru.

"I can't sleep," she said. "And I just heard that Mom's going to make you marry some dude."

"It's that Sho guy's little brother." I replied.

"What's his name? What's he like?"

"Funaki Minoru. And he's not nice at all. He made me join the Chess Club. And he's pushy and is very arrogant."

"Sounds like an ass to me."

I giggled. "Onee-san, how could you? You just swore."

"What?" she said. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No. You're probably describing him very well." I rolled onto my back, then felt around for Hiro. I pulled him to me.

"So then you don't like him. How annoying. Why can't she just leave our futures alone?" Kimiko sighed.

"What's your job?"

"Oh, I'm a secretary for a manager of an Oshiro bookstore."

"What do you do then?"

"I help with files and records and money and stuff. I make copies and print things and secretary things. I sometimes help put books away. Mostly, I deal with the orders of books that are coming in."

"Ooh. That sounds pretty fun."

"Eh? Not really." Kimiko said with a laugh. We fell silent. Aiko-chan was sitting by my pillow. I turned and could just make out her outline. I smiled. Honey…

"What are you going to do, Rika? You're not going to just marry him right?"

"Of course not. I don't know. I tried. Mom's so difficult though."

"Mm. But she's more lenient with you."

"With me? Not even in the slightest!"

"What? But you're her precious…"

"Precious what? Daughter? So are you."

Kimiko was silent.

"What, Kimiko-nee? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Nothing."

It obviously wasn't nothing, but there wasn't much point in trying to force it out of her. I sighed, snuggling into Hiro. "I'm going to sleep. If you want to, you can stay here."

"Okay. Thanks, Rika."

"It's not… Forget it."

And somehow, I fell asleep pretty quickly.

* * *

><p>Monday.<p>

Honey and I exchanged slightly lopsided grins. He seemed rather calm, unlike me. I couldn't help but think back to the date and… then I'd just freak out.

Uh-oh. My grades in History are just slowly plummeting. Crap. I think I'll have to seriously study for the next test. And the one after that, and the one after that, until infinity and beyond!

After class, I headed to the Ouran Host Club's room for a quick moment of joy and refreshment. It's always fun to hang out with them.

"Hello, everyone!" I said, coming in.

"Hello."

"Oh, Rika-senpai!"

"Hey!"

"Ri-chan!"

I grinned. Now this is where I'd like to be. Where everyone knows my name~ I closed the door behind me.

"What are you guys doing?"

The Host Club was sitting at a larger table with papers spread out in front of each of them. Kyoya had his laptop out.

"Discussing a possible Host Club outing for the summer," Kyoya replied. "How are the cake designs going?"

"I'm working on Haruhi's." I said with a smile. "Here, check out the picture. I was thinking whip cream on top of a chocolate cake."

I pulled up the picture on my cellphone. I'd been experimenting with different kinds of cocoa levels in chocolate frosting and chocolate cake batter. "Ta-dah!"

"No weird bugs in it, right?" Haruhi asked.

I laughed. "Nope! I'd never do that to you, Haruhi!"

"Uh. Th-That's reassuring." She said with something like a sweat-drop.

"Looks good," Kyoya said with a brief nod.

"You should join us on our outing! We might go to a resort or something." The twins said.

"Uh, maybe..." I said. Oh right, the pictures. There's still a piece of revenge I must see through. Tomorrow then.

We chatted some more. They were trying to come up with an idea for a brief summer outing with the Host Club's guests. The twins wanted to go to another beach. Tamaki suggested going on a hike up a mountain, which was instantly rejected by everyone else. I left after twenty or so minutes, promising to bring the Haruhi cake the next day.

At Chess Club, I talked to Tomiko for the most part. J challenged me to a game, and I accepted. After seeing his poor playing against K, I figured he wouldn't be hard to beat. And he wasn't.

"Damn it! Losing to a stupid kid like you." J scowled, glaring at the board in front.

"Don't be such a sore loser, J." K said. Then she turned to me with a smile. "I'd like to play against you some time."

"Maybe tomorrow," I replied, grabbing my school bag. "I'll be leaving now."

"So soon?" Minoru said. He followed after me out of the club room.

"You said all I have to do is play at least one game each day. I'm going home now." I said. He smirked.

"Here's another condition. If you can beat me, you don't have to come to the Chess Club."

I smiled. "I'll accept it. Allow me to play against you tomorrow then."

"Ah, nope. You'll have to beat everyone else in the club before you can try and challenge me." Ugh, what? How annoying and tedious.

"Very well. See you then." I waved, heading down the stairs. But before I went home, I'd like to pay a visit to a different place.

The Host Club was in full swing when I arrived. The usual chatter and sound of tea cups filled the air. It seemed as if the entire scene was framed in roses and sparkles.

I slipped into the room quietly, not wanting attention. Kyoya glanced at me and nodded. I smiled and waved at him. I was really here just to see how things were going.

Honey was eating cake cheerfully, sitting at an angle where he probably couldn't see me. Mori did look up at the door and nodded at me, with just a trace of a smile. The girls around Honey were, as usual, squealing about his cuteness.

I left after that. There was little point in interrupting their hosting. But what really made me leave was the sight of Honey surrounded by girls. How lucky they were, to be able to spend their after school time with him, while I had to sit around playing chess against stupid dudes with anger management problems.

I sighed. Now I'm just judging them. And I'm sure all those girls around Honey would gladly kill to have gone on a date with Honey. Or to even just live next to him. Or to get a stuffed animal from him. Or to eat lunch with him. Or to be called by their first name by him…

Ugh. I hate this feeling.

Isn't it called jealousy?

* * *

><p>Tuesday, at lunch time, I created a commotion.<p>

"Yes! Come one! Come all! This is a special once-in-a-lifetime event! There is no other event like this! Come on over, you lovely ladies! Surely you've seen this dashing, young man before, yes?"

I gestured to the huge, framed picture of none other than Ootori Kyoya. I was standing on a makeshift stage, holding a huge megaphone. Just like how I hadn't forgotten the twins unleashing a horde of spiders, I hadn't forgot that it was because of Kyoya that they'd done such a thing.

"That's right! This is a special chance to purchase pictures of Ootori Kyoya, the Cool type of the Ouran High School's one and only Host Club!"

The girls below me cheered.

"Rika-san," Hanako said, coming over to me. "Why am I here?"

"I've heard about your math prowess, Hanako-san! And besides, I'll give you some free Kyoya pictures! And, of course, if you want a portion of the profit, it's yours." I smiled.

"I'll just settle for 5% profit then." Hanako replied.

"Senpai!" Chiyo said, hugging me with a pout. "Why are you selling this guy's pictures? And why am I helping you?"

"Cause you love me right?" I replied jokingly.

Chiyo paused and suddenly grinned with wide eyes. "Kya! Rika-senpai found out my secret!" She hugged me tightly.

Uh, wait what?

"Um, you love me as a friend right?" I asked carefully. Below, Genta, Ikuma, and Atsuo were helping with the sales. Hanako was going around collecting the money.

"Of course not, Rika-senpai. I love you!" Chiyo squealed.

Uh… Did I miss something here?

"Chiyo-san, you aren't…"

"I'm bisexual, Rika-senpai. Didn't you know that?" She replied with a smile. "But I've always preferred girls, because they're so cute and pretty. Guys aren't as great."

Ehh… Maybe I just haven't gotten enough sleep.

"Okay. Th-Thanks then, Chiyo-san." I shook my head. "I'm going to continue this sale now. And thanks for your work." I smiled at the blond girl. She nodded back with an enthusiastic grin.

I was selling all sorts of pictures of Kyoya. I'd gotten a few pictures of when he was younger, thanks to his sister, who willingly handed the digital copies over.

"Hey, how come it's only Kyoya?" One girl yelled from below.

"Excellent question, there, young lady!" I said with an exaggerated flourish of my arm. "That's because, as all of you may know, Ootori Kyoya is the manager of the Host Club. Is that correct?"

"Yes!" The crowd replied.

"And where do you go when you want to buy pictures of other members of the club? Say, you want to get a nice little picture of Tamaki. Where do you go to get that?"

"To Kyoya!" They screamed back.

"Exactly," I said. "To Kyoya! And, it's about time that someone did the same for him. Am I right? How often do you get to purchase pictures of Kyoya? How often do you get to purchase pictures of Kyoya...like this!"

I picked up a picture of Kyoya reading intently. Then I picked up another one of him when he was ten years old, wearing a suit and looking grumpy.

"KYAA~!" And the crowd goes wild!

"Yes. That's why this is a special chance! And if you all stay around a little longer, we will begin the auction for several gorgeous portraits of Ootori Kyoya!" I pointed at the large portrait next to me and the many other smaller ones covered by cloth.

"Hayashi Rika, just what do you think you are doing?"

Ah. Speak of the Devil.

"Everyone, this is a truly magnificent day! Because the real person has decided to grace us with his presence!" I turned and pointed at Kyoya, who was standing to my left and looking very irritated. But with these girls around, he had to smile at them all charmingly. "Yes, take a good look of the very person. How often do you get to see him? Not enough? That's why you should buy these beautiful pictures, so you can admire this great man whenever you wish!"

I moved away from the megaphone and smiled at Kyoya. "Kyo-chan, how kind of you to visit. You're bringing me even more customers."

Kyoya's very presence had, indeed, attracted more people. Each normal-sized picture was 1000 yen. To buy a picture, first you'd go to Hanako and Chiyo. You'd pay Hanako the proper amount and Chiyo would give you small raffle-like tickets of how ever many pictures you were buying. You would then travel over to where Genta, Ikuma, and Atsuo are at to trade the tickets for a picture each.

It's a brilliant set-up, created by none other than _moi_!

"Okay! Let's begin the auction!"

The crowd started screaming.

"Alright, we'll begin with a smaller sized portrait of Kyoya!" I unveiled a smaller version of the huge portrait. "That's right. This is high quality and captures Kyoya's beauty and excellence just as well as this large portrait. You can hang this on your wall or put it by your bed! It's easy to hide from your parents as well! Now, do I hear a starting number? Let's begin with 10,000 yen!"

Hands shot up.

"Twenty-thousand!" One girl screamed.

"Fifty-thousand!"

"Hundred-thousand!"

These people are so rich. I don't have that much money to spend on one tiny picture. I feel a bit bad at cheating them out of this though. Ah, whatever. It's mostly their parents' money anyway.

"Five hundred-thousand!"

"Eight hundred-thousand!"

"One million!"

The crowd quieted.

"One million, everyone! I heard a one million! Is that you, miss? Alright, anyone else? One million. This great picture. Going once…"

"One million and one hundred thousand!" A different girl yelled. That seemed to shoot up everyone's fighting spirit again.

Screams and shouts resounded the hallway I was occupying.

"Stay calm everyone! Stay calm! Who was the last one?"

"Two million!" The girl who'd gone to one million yelled.

"Three million!" The second girl said.

"Four mill!"

"Five mill!

"Eight million!" The first girl screamed.

"Ten million!" The same second girl shouted.

"Twelve million!"

"I want the picture though!" The second girl said with a pout and a stomp of her feet. "Look! Hayashi-senpai! I already bought every single picture of Kyoya's that you have available!" She waved around the pictures as proof.

I smiled and nodded. "That's great. I hope they serve you well."

"Rika," Kyoya said darkly. He'd come onto my tiny stage.

"Ah, Kyo-chan, are you here to help out?" I asked. "And if you're looking to have a piece of this profit, the most I'm willing to offer is 1%."

"Even though you're giving Ishii Hanako 5%?" Kyoya asked with an arched brow.

I smiled. "I'll explain later, Kyo-chan."

He sighed and then walked off the stage. I watched as he headed back towards the cafeteria.

"Is twelve million it?" I returned to the rowdy crowd. "Twelve million? Going once. Going twice. And… sold! To you lovely lady over there, come on over and get your prize." I said, gesturing at the girl who'd offered the price.

I caught Hanako's gaze and nodded at her. She went to collect the money due. Then I found Chiyo in the crowd and gestured for her to come over here. Her eyes widened, and she was by my side in an instance.

"Did you need me, Rika-senpai?" Chiyo asked with glittering eyes. Ah, I feel so bad. I feel like I'm using her! Like I'm taking advantage of such an innocent girl!  
>"Chiyo-san, I'll treat you to lunch on a weekend, okay?" I said with a smile. "As thanks for everything."<p>

"Really? Lunch! Kya! I can't wait!" Chiyo grinned.

"Anyway, can you get that girl earlier? The one who waved around the Kyoya pictures and wanted the portrait." I said.

She frowned. "Why? Are you interested in her?"

Gak! I'm not interested in any girls frankly! I shook my head. "No. I just kinda feel bad for… I mean she did pay a lot of money… Could you get her? I'll treat you to ice cream too."

"Ooh! Okay." Chiyo ran off.

The girl came up the stage, and I handed her the small portrait. "Congrats!" I said with a smile.

Her eyes were shining very, very brightly. She hugged the portrait. "Kyaa! I can't believe it! Kyoya-senpai is my favorite!"

A first year huh.

I nodded. "Thank you!"

She ran off looking very happy. Hm, maybe this wasn't so bad. "Now then, the second item is another small portrait… of Ootori Kyoya when he was younger!"

And let the fighting begin once again…

* * *

><p>Holy crap.<p>

The profit I got from the auction, which does mean that I've subtracted the money I spent printing the pictures, is… about 60 million?! Holy smokes!

Let's see. 5% of that would be… three million. About.

Dang, that's a lot of money too. Argh, why am I so stingy? I don't want to part with the money, but seriously, I should really reward everyone for helping me.

I'd given the girl who wasn't able to buy any of the larger portraits a special picture of a genuinely smiling Kyoya, standing next to his sister. His sister had given it to me, but I'd found it far too personal to sell. But this girl, who seemed like a truly crazy Kyoya fan, couldn't be too bad. She was very happy and even hugged me in thanks.

We were all by the corner of the cafeteria. "Hanako-san," I said, looking up from my counting. Most of it were checks written for my bank account. There were a lot of five thousand bills though. "Here." I handed her my own check of three million. After I cash in all the money I'd gotten here, Hanako could cash her check in and get the money.

She took it and glanced at the amount. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"It's 5%." I replied with a smile.

She smiled back. "Alright. It was nice doing business with you, Rika-san." We shook hands, sharing genuine smiles.

"And as for you three," I said. Atsuo, Ikuma, and Genta came over. "How much do you guys want?"

"Eh? We don't need any," Atsuo said, waving his arms around in protest.

"Here. How about one million each?" I asked.

The three shook their heads. Atsuo again said, "We don't need-"

I stepped up to him and hugged him briefly, slipping the stack of bills into his hand. I smiled. "As thanks, since you won't accept money. But do take that."

Then I hugged the other two, handing them the money. I grinned. "And how about I take you all to have some ice cream this weekend?"

They were a bit out of it, shocked. Genta was even blushing. "O-Okay!" They said with nods and sweet grins.

"Chiyo-san!" I called.

"Yes, Rika-senpai?" The girl said, popping up to my side.

"How much do you want?" I asked. "Or is lunch enough?"

"Lunch is enough!" She said, hugging me. "Those boys are lucky, getting a hug from Rika-senpai."

"But you get lunch!" The three yelled back.

"It's practically a date!" Ikuma said.

"Rika," Kyoya said, interrupting what was about to become a fight. "My 1%?"

I smiled. "Ah, Kyo-chan. You don't seem to understand why I went through all that trouble. You do remember the spider incident, yes? And the person who informed the twins on it all was you."

"Meaning?" He said.

"Meaning?" I repeated. Then I grinned innocently. "It means, Kyo-chan, that this is my form of revenge on you! You don't get 1%! I worked very hard to get all those pictures and even setting up that place, you know. Besides, one percent, you'd only get about six hundred thousand. And it's not like you did anything, so no, you don't get any money." I stuck my tongue out.

"This is your form of revenge, huh?" Kyoya smiled. "A most interesting way."

"Your sweet onee-chan was the one that gave me some of the pictures." I smiled.

Kyoya sighed. "Whatever. I'll let this pass, for once." He turned to leave, looking rather stressed out.

"Would you like a hug though?" I asked. Maybe I'd gone a bit too far.

He turned back, looking confused. "What?"

"An it's-okay hug." I replied, maintaining my innocent look. I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards me, then I slipped my arms around his waist to hug him briefly.

"Okay!" I said, backing away with a smile. "Oh and don't forget, _Kyo_-chan, that I'm your senpai!"

Kyoya sighed, pushing up his glasses so they masked his eyes. But his ears seemed redder than usual. "Bye then." He waved and headed towards where the Host Club sat, causing its usual amount of chaos.

* * *

><p><strong>So I'll probably be putting up a short OC list on my profile page. And do you guys think the story is getting too long? We're still like... maybe ten chapters away from the "climax" of Honey and Rika's relationship...? I'm not too sure, since I haven't written that part yet. <strong>

**Please review! And hundreds of thanks for reading! :D I love you all!**


	28. I absolutely hate her

**Wow, chapter 28. Almost to chapter 30! :O Oh and 150 reviews! Woo! :D Thank you guys VERY much! I hope you all know that it's because you guys are here that this story has gotten this far. Because if it weren't for all your kind words, this story would have dropped a long time ago. So thank you :) and shout out to DreamTrance14 who has been here since chapter 3!**

**AwakenedSecrets:** Wait what do you mean why her mom is portraying in the wrong light? Do you mean her opinions are wrong? Could you explain that a bit more? And yes, your reviews are cute. And no, they don't make me smile. They make me grin and giggle :D Whenever I'm reading reviews, I get this HUGE grin and feel very happy! :) Lol, do you like Chiyo?

**Independent Not in Love: **Really? How come you ship Kyoya and Rika instead? There haven't actually been that many fluff scenes between them...

**pokemondemon369:** Hi there! :D I'm glad you liked the chapter! And thank you thank you for reviewing!

**cloudsinwonderland:** Why yes, the climax will have fluff. Thanks a lot for the feedback :D You're starting to be around for a while too, so thanks for sticking round! And sorry that I didn't reply to your review last time.

**Hikari-Hikaru:** Hello! Thanks for the feedback! No worries, this story is following a linear plot. Hope you like this chapter too! :)

**DreamTrance14:** Lol is Kyoya your second favorite Host? Oh, and out of the twins, which one do you like? It's interesting cause most people seem to like Hikaru, though I'd personally prefer Kaoru who's the nicer, better tempered one. Anyway, thanks for the review! ^-^

**SmolderingBlackRose:** Thank you for the review! Would you like to see more of Chiyo? I'm trying to put more twins in, since they're the most popular ones of the Hosts other than Honey in the poll. Hope you like this chapter too :D

**Guest Strawberry Neko:** Cute nickname :) Thank youuuu! I hope the fluff in this chapter suits you!

**Guest: **Don't be sorry, but could you tell me why you ship Kyoya and Rika? Pleaseee tell me :) And thank you very much for reviewing!

**Warning: Lots more swear words in this chapter than usual! **

**Other than that, hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

><p>"Hey, hey, don't you guys think that Honey has changed recently?" Girl one.<p>

"Hm? Changed how?" Girl two.

"Well, lately, I feel like he's so handsome. You know, he's not just a cute little kid. Kind of like, he's actually dating material." Girl one.

"Oh yeah! I totally get what you mean!" Girl three.

"Honey as dating material?" Girl two. "I can't imagine that."

"Oh but he's such an amazing martial artist!" Girl three.

"Can you imagine him protecting you?" Girl one, with a giggle. "It'd be so romantic."

"You guys…" Girl two, sounding disappointed and possibly annoyed.

"He's so hot these days." Girl three.

"I wonder what's causing him to change." Girl one.

"Maybe puberty finally hit." Girl three with a laugh.

"Yes! That might be it! Ah, I really want to go to the same college as him." Girl one. "Imagine him in college. Grown up and mature and so handsome."

Oh my God. Are you kidding me? Why are they talking about this in the bathroom? I stood in the bathroom stall, staring at the pretty pearly pink stall door. This was the conversation I'd overheard while in the bathroom during lunch. The girls left pretty quickly, still talking about Honey. Only Girl two seemed to be uninterested.

But Honey changing? Was that true? Maybe I just hadn't noticed it.

* * *

><p>After 6th hour, I left my class to go visit the Host Club. Azumi was coming with the Haruhi cake I'd baked yesterday.<p>

"Rika-san."

I stopped at that annoying voice. Turning slowly, I smiled. "Ah, Funaki-san. What is it?"

"The Chess Club is that way." He pointed down the hall, opposite of where I was going. "Where do you think you're going?"

"There's something I have to pick up from my maid." I replied calmly. It was true after all. Suddenly, Minoru grabbed my right wrist and pulled me down a smaller hallway. "Fu-Funaki-san, what is it? What do you want?"

He pushed me against the wall, placing his two hands on both sides of me. What is this stupidly cliche position we're in? "What do you think you're doing, Rika-san? I saw you selling pictures of Ootori Kyoya. You're still helping the Host Club, aren't you? You haven't actually quit the club, am I right?" His hazel eyes drilled into mine, searching for the answers.

I stared straight back, maintaining as calm of a demeanor as possible. "I have quit the club, Funaki-san, and I was not helping the Host Club. I was selling the pictures for my own benefit. Besides, even if I did help the Host Club, it would be because I'm helping my friends that are in the Club. I may have joined the Chess Club, but most of my friends still remain there." I replied. Then I tried to lightly push him away.

He grabbed my left hand harshly in response, shoving me back against the wall. "Don't lie!" He hissed, sticking his face inches from mine. Ugh, why does he have to get so close? And-

"Ow!" I yelped, when his hand twisted my wrist the wrong way. My left wrist wasn't even fully healed yet. "M-My wrist! Ow, Funaki, it's still injured right now!"

"Tell me the truth." He said, ignoring my pained cries. "Who's your boyfriend?"

"Le-Let go!" I yelled, pushing him away roughly. He stumbled back a few steps but only yanked my wrist along with him.

Oh shit! That hurts!

My wrist was on fire. I squeezed my eyes shut. Ugh, the throbbing pain filled my mind. It was all that registered. I'd never dealt with much pain before, except for that one incident with the knife.

"Funaki-" I gasped.

"Rika!"

Minoru was wrenched away from me, and the tight grip around my wrist was gone. I took a deep breath, as the pain slowly ebbed away.

"What the-" Minoru said, regaining his balance. "What do you think you're doing, Haninozuka?"

Mitsukuni stood next to me with a very serious expression. His right hand curled gently around mine. They were so completely different. Minoru was rough and pushy, while Mitsukuni was sweet and gentle.

I leaned against him, taking another deep breath. "Mitsukuni," I whispered in silent relief and slight joy.

He glanced at me then squeezed my hand. "You alright?"

I nodded.

"Don't interfere, Haninozuka." Minoru said, glaring and stepping forward. "I'm Rika's fiancee."

"And what, that gives you the right to hurt her?" Honey replied in a sharp voice. His eyes narrowed into a dark expression I'd never seen before. "Since you're her fiancee, doesn't that mean you should respect her and love her even more? Come on, Rika. Let's go to the nurse's office."

"Wha-"

Honey tugged on my arm gently and smoothly led me away from Minoru. When I turned, I saw him glaring at us in seething rage. His eyes said enough: _I won't forgive you for this. _

I looked away, swallowing. Things were just going from bad to worse with Minoru. What more could possibly happen?

Honey was silent. Our linked hands dangled in between us as I kept pace with him. "Um, Mitsukuni? Are you alright?" I tilted my head to try and catch his eyes.

"Hurting you," His hand tightened around mine. "Unforgivable."

"Mitsukuni," I said, but he was silent after that.

The nurse wrapped up my wrist to the point that I couldn't move it. Then she sat me down at an empty desk and plopped a bag of ice on my wrist.

"Sit there and don't move. You sprained your wrist, and you didn't ice it at all?" She said with a sigh. There were so many nurses and doctors here! Ah, Ouran is for the rich after all.

"Now the injury is even worse than before," I mumbled quietly, lying my head down in my arms. The ice was really cold on my wrist.

The nurse came back and slid a towel between the ice bag and my wrist. "That should help. Stay here as long as you'd like to."

I nodded and murmured my thanks. Honey sat down opposite me. He still hadn't said anything.

"Mitsukuni, are you alright?" I asked again.

He frowned suddenly. "Argh! How could he! What a jerk!" He yelled, waving his arms around in a way that was very similar to a child throwing a tantrum. I smiled. It was quite adorable really, and I was glad he was saying something.

He laid his head in his arms, staring at me with a pout. "I can't believe he'd be like that. How could your mom choose someone like him?"

"It's the first time he's done something like that." I replied.

"Is he in any of your classes?" Honey asked.

I nodded. "Last one."

"If he ever does anything like that again," He said. "Make sure you hit him!"

I laughed. "Sure. Oh, Mitsukuni, I baked Haruhi's cake. Azumi's bringing it, and I wanted to share it with all of you."

"Oh. The chocolate one right?" Honey grinned. "I'm sure it's delicious as usual!"

I blushed. Geez, when was he so good at...complimenting? Or could this be considered flirting? Probably not, since we're only talking about cake. "Thanks. Should we go get the cake now then?"

"But your wrist it still..." He glanced at my bandaged wrist.

"It's fine."

"How about you stay here, and I go get the cake?" Honey asked, standing up.

"But I want to be there when you guys eat it." I said, standing up too. "So let me go with you."

Honey frowned, in deep thought. "How about you just go to the Host Club room, and I'll get the cake. And then we'll all be there!"

"Are you sure?"

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah! Don't worry! It's just cake after all. Bring the ice with you, okay?"

"Okay." I picked up the bag of ice, keeping it balanced on my wrist.

We parted and I headed for the Host Club room.

"Honey!"

Hah? That was a girl's voice. I whirled around towards the sound. Honey had just turned down another hallway. I headed back towards the corner to see what was going on. I was just curious, that's all.

"Oh, Honey! It's so great to see you all by yourself!"

Wait a minute. That voice. It sounds a lot like the Girl 3 I heard of in the bathroom. But...she sounded like she'd be the type to be all over him within a few seconds.

I peeked around the corner.

Oh my-

She had super curly, dark brown hair. I couldn't quite see her eyes from here, but she was tall, very tall, and had quite the curvy body. Even curvier than Chiyo! And that's really saying something.

Argh.

And she was hugging Honey.

GAH what the hell do you think you're doing to my Honey?! Ahh, wait, he's not mine! I meant, what are you doing to Honey?!

"Uh, uh," Honey said, gently pushing away from her.

Oh well, it's not like he knows who she is anyway.

"Aya-chan!" Honey grinned in his Host Club way. "Hello!"

Damn it, he does.

"I was wondering where you were when I saw Mori walking around all by himself." Aya or whatever said with a pout.

This girl…

Honey giggled. "I'm going to get some cake!"

"Oh!" Aya clapped her hands together in delight and grinned. "Can I have some too? Can I come with you?"

"Of course!"

Who is this girl… How dare she...

Furthermore, that is _my_ cake! You can't have _any _of _my_ cake without _my_ permission! Who wants you to eat any of _my_ cake, huh?!

Honey turned and continued down the hallway. Aya smiled and followed after. Then she stopped, tilting her head in a questioning way, before spinning slowly around towards my direction.

I ducked my head out of view as fast as possible. Uh-oh. Hopefully she didn't see me… Well I guess she'll just assume I'm some stalker or weirdo. No! It's never good for people to think that of me! Of anyone who isn't a stalker or weirdo really!

Wait, I kind of am acting like a stalker and a weirdo.

Ah~ This is so depressing.

After a few more minutes, I glanced back. They were gone.

I hate this stupid Aya-chan! I'm starting to hate her more than Minoru! And I haven't even actually met her! Frowning, I headed towards the Host Club.

I hope I never have to meet her…

* * *

><p>"Alright, the Haruhi cake is approved." Kyoya said, writing something down in his black notebook.<p>

The Haruhi cake had been a sweet vanilla cake with whipped cream topping and half-strawberries lining it. Inside the cake there was a slightly melted layer of rich, dark chocolate, at 60% cocoa. It was the perfect mix of sweet and bitter, and it was absolutely delicious. I'd had to struggle with temperatures to get the chocolate to stay soft and not to harden.

I nodded with a dazed look. "Okay. I'll be going then." I grabbed my school bag and headed out. "Thanks, everyone."

"Uh, Rika-senpai," Haruhi said with a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. Just, you know, reconsidering my life's purpose." I responded vaguely, though really, Aya-chan's face and voice just kept echoing annoyingly in my head. "I have to go play another boring, damn game of chess with some stranger whose name I don't give a fuck about. Oh my. Did I just say that? Why yes, I did. Oh who cares. Whatever. Bye."

I left a silent room.

"Rika, hang on!"

I slowed to a stop, spinning around in the same daze. Usa-chan suddenly sprang into my vision. I jumped. "Ah!"

Honey's face appeared next to Usa-chan. He smiled. "Why don't you take Usa-chan with you? You don't seem to be feeling very well."

I shook my head. "It's fine. I don't need Usa-chan."

"But Usa-chan can help you!" Honey said in protest. He shoved her into my arms. "You better keep her safe, Rika! Bye now!" Then he dashed back into the Club room before I could say anything else.

Damn it, why was he so fast?

The Chess Club was well underway when I arrived, and even Minoru was there. Well I was much later than usual.

He stared at me for a moment but didn't say a word. Then he looked at Usa-chan in my arms and turned away in distaste. Yeah, go suck it you jackass!

"Hey!" K waved at me. "Come sit." She gestured at the empty seat opposite her. I nodded, sitting down and readjusting the ice bag on my wrist. She raised an eyebrow at my bandaged up wrist, and possibly Usa-chan, but didn't say anything. Good, not the nosy type, I suppose.

"I'm playing against you then?" I said, seating Usa-chan safely in my lap.

She nodded. "Yup. I'd like to see how good you are. I'm Ariwara Hatsumi, by the way."

Oh. Now I know her name. Well, if she's a really good chess player, I'll remember her name. And her face too, I guess.

"You can be white," she said. "I'm always black. Go ahead."

I picked up my pawn.

An hour later, I stared at the chessboard in front of me. Unbelievable! Dang! Daaaaaang! Hatsumi smiled, but not in an arrogant way. It was more of amusement.

"I thought you'd be a bit better, Hayashi-san." She said with a sigh. "At least you put up a good fight."

I only had my king, a knight, and three pawns left on the board, and it was checkmate. She still had her queen, a bishop, five pawns, a knight, and a rook.

I kept staring. How did I- How did she-

I shook my head. Ugh, this sucks. This afternoon has just gone downhill. Karma for being so greedy and trying to make so much money off of Kyoya? Maybe. Well, lesson learned: never mess with Kyoya.

I sighed. Damn it.

"Don't feel too bad, Hayashi-san." Hatsumi said. "I'm the VP, after all. I'm the second best player. And I was told about your condition. If you beat every person in the club, you can play against Minoru-san. If you beat him, you don't have to come to the club."

I nodded, staring at her heart-shaped face dazedly. I played with Usa-chan's arms for a while, still trying to figure out how I had lost. I'd always been able to beat everyone in chess, except for Akane. She was a genius at chess. Well, at least, to me she was, and hat had been in middle school. It was true that this was western chess, so it was probably more popular in America than it was in Japan.

She leaned forward. "You better be able to beat me. I hope you know that I've played against Minoru-san, let's see, I think it was 247 times before I finally beat him. And the next game I played against him after that, I lost again. Do you understand now, Hayashi-san? You'll have to be able to easily beat me to be able to even challenge him. I'll help you out, since I'd like to see another person beat Minoru-san. So, whenever you want to, come challenge me. I'll gladly play against you."

She stood, picking up her schoolbag with another smile. "See you then, Hayashi-san." She waved and then headed out the door.

What the fuck.

She's only beaten Minoru _once_? Out of...what 250 times or something? Oh. I am so screwed. Minoru sucks. Damn him. What is his chess skill level? 1000? No, it must be over 9000!

Okay, Dragonball aside… I'll have to be able to beat Hatsumi to be able to compete against Minoru.

I sighed, standing up. The ice had melted into plain cold water. I tossed it into the nearby trashcan. Squeezing Usa-chan to my chest for reassurance and comfort, I made my way out the Chess Club room.

Ariwara Hatsumi. Long, light-orange hair with a pretty face and an elegant manner. Guess I'll have to remember her. Ah, whatever. Let's just go home now. I'm so tired.

* * *

><p>I dropped by the Haninozuka home to return Usa-chan to Honey. I didn't want to see Honey, so I just passed the bunny to Mori. He had a somewhat worried expression and even patted my head kindly. I went back home after that. There was so much homework and studying to do. I can't wait for summer.<p>

When I went to turn in all my checks, though, I found that my bank account had increased. Someone had written a check for me, and it was precisely the amount of money I had paid for the hospital.

It could have only been Mom's doing...

* * *

><p>"Guys, you won't believe what happened to me yesterday!"<p>

Holy shit. Is the world screwing with me here? Why is Girl 3 here? And this time, I'm out here at the sinks so I can see them! No, more importantly, they can see me.

"What?" Girl one.

"I met Honey yesterday! And he was _all_ by himself! No Mori! Nobody, nu-uh!" Girl 3 said with an excited grin and exaggerated hand motions. I sighed quietly to myself. So damn annoying. Why can't they pick a _better_ place to gossip?

Girl 2 sighed along with me.

"No way! That's so unfair! Argh, I want to get Honey alone too!" Girl 1. She was seriously whining about this.

"Can't we ever talk about something different?" Girl 2 asked.

"You don't understand cause you've never been to the Host Club." Girl 1 was starting to get defensive. "Anyway, tell me! What did you do? What did you say? What did he say? Did he act any different? Was he more… manly?"

Manly? That's the best term you can think of?

"Not really, but I got to hug him! He's so cute and huggable! And I went to get cake with him too! From some maid. It was really weird. The maid was like, 'Why are you here, Haninozuka?' And Honey said something about how 'Ri-chan' couldn't come cause she injured her wrist again. That's so lame! In the end, he wasn't getting cake, like, delivered for him to eat! He was getting cake for some pathetic 'Ri-chan' that injured her wrist. Like what the hell is wrong with this girl?! How do you injure your wrist?!"

Um, I don't know. When your crazy fiancee twists it the wrong way?

Oh, but then again, the first time it was because I was being stupid and pissed off… So I guess she's right… sort of.

No! She can't be right! Anyway, why didn't Azumi say anything about this when I got home? And what am I supposed to do? I want to keep hearing them talk, but I can't possibly wash my hands long enough to last through their entire stupid conversation! And it's not like I have makeup-

Oh wait.

I reached into my school bag and pulled out a small pouch. So it was here… A makeup kit. Was this Azumi's doing? I know Mom got me several sets of makeup that I've never even touched before, so I suppose I'm not surprised to find this here in my school bag. Is wearing makeup considered a ladylike thing? Wouldn't Mom have been worried that I start wearing a ton of heavy makeup? Well it hasn't happened so far in these two-ish, three-ish years, so I guess that's why. Plus Mom could always just take the makeup away.

I unzipped the bag as Girl 3, or "Aya-chan," continued. "Anyway, so we just talked a bit. Like, I asked him what his favorite kind of cake is, and he said he likes all kinds of cakes."

Strawberry. He likes strawberries.

"Hey, I think I'm going to bake him a cake!" Girl 3 said suddenly. "What do you guys think? What kind of cake should I try?"

"You've never baked a cake before though," Girl 2 replied.

"Exactly!" Girl 3 nearly yelled with enthusiasm. I was applying some mascara as they talked. Thanks to watching Kimiko and the twins, I knew, somewhat, how to do this. "And when it turns out amazing, it'll be even better! Like, 'hey this is my first time baking a cake.' And it'll be impressive like that, you know?"

Pfft. This girl just keeps pissing me off. She obviously doesn't understand the amount of detail and effort that must be put into baking a _good_ cake.

"Anyway, what kind?" Girl 3 asked.

"Why don't you just do a normal chocolate cake?" Girl 2 said.

"You might as well just hire someone to bake one for you." Girl 1 said. "Then it'll be guaranteed that the cake is good."

"But I really do want to bake a cake for him!" Girl 3 insisted. At least, she's genuine, unlike that Girl 1. "Anyway, what was really annoying was that, he went into the Host Club room with the cake! Because it was before hosting hours and stuff. But I'd ask to have some of the cake! It really did look good. And there was even this red rose on it that was really pretty and lots of strawberries. But I ended up not having any of it!"

Haha, Honey asked me if you could have some, and I said no. Hahaha, I'm so evil. Well actually, I used the excuse of "We want these Host Cakes to be a surprise!" Kyoya hasn't started advertising them yet, so no one knows about these Host Cakes. So, it wouldn't be good if the info was leaked right?

Plus in the end, Honey ate most of it…

"And I asked him about the cake during hosting hours, and he said that he ate it all!" Girl 3 said.

Girl 2 laughed. "It's Honey, right? What did you expect?"

"You're still so lucky!" Girl 1. "I wish I got a chance like that."

"I wonder why he was by himself in the first place." Girl 3. "And, what's even more annoying is, I hung around after he went in, and I heard him calling for that Ri-chan! Saying things like, 'I got the cake! It looks delicious!' And I heard the other Hosts in there too! Who is this annoying girl? Why was she even in there with them? _We_ don't get to go in, so what gives her the right to?"

"I think that's Hayashi Rika." Girl 2.

Oh crap. Maybe I should leave before they find out that I've been here this entire time. Maintaining my speed at a constant rate so as to not attract sudden attention, I packed away the makeup.

"Who the hell is that?" Girl 3. "I'd like to see her fall flat on her face right in front of me." Guess these feelings of hate are mutual. That's reassuring. It's hard to hate someone that likes you.

"You don't know her?" Girl 1.

I entered a stall near them. Luckily, the bathrooms were a pretty busy place. There were always girls there, redoing their makeup and dealing with their bladders. But how can they have such a long conversation here? Like is this their favorite gossip spot? I seriously don't get it. They're monopolizing those sinks over there!

Ah, but then again this bathroom is huge. It's like ten times larger than our gang's clubroom.

"Her parents are the owners of Hayashi Sweets and Oshiro Press and the Oshiro Bookstores." Girl 2. "They're rich and powerful. She's apparently very smart and cute too."

Girl 3 scoffed. "Ha, what is she, a first year?"

"No, a third year." Girl 2.

"So then that cake must have been from Hayashi Sweets." Girl 1. "She might have bribed Honey with cake."

"Whatever!" Girl 3. "Once Honey tries _my_ cake, he won't want to hang out with that pathetic girl. I still don't get how she could be in there!"

"I heard she's friends with them." Girl 1. "She hosted for a while actually, but then quit because…"

Their voices finally faded away. I waited a while longer until I was positive that they were gone, before leaving the stall to wash the makeup off my face. I doubt I'd done a good job.

* * *

><p>What the hell.<p>

It's _her_. Again.

That Aya girl. Why?! Is the world messing with me here? Is this still part of the punishment for making money off of Kyoya? I swear, oh great big world, I won't do it again! Just get that Aya girl out of my - and Honey's - life and I will be content.

I sighed. I was standing by the Host Club doors watching the Host Club proceedings. I was done with Chess Club, and it was, thank God, Thursday.

I can't wait for this week to be over. But, ugh, there's a history test I have to study for. And then exams are coming up next, next week. And I still can't sleep very well. I'm so damn tired but I just can't fall asleep. Why? This is so so _so_...sad.

I sighed again, slouching over.

I hate that girl. I hate being able to hear Honey's "Aya-chan!" from over here. I hate this feeling I keep getting whenever I see her with Honey. I hate seeing her hug him. I hate seeing him offer cake to her.

Hate! Agh I'm so full of hate!

I pushed the doors opened to leave. Time to go home, I guess. Maybe I'll stop by the park to just sit there. The weather is nice today.

I wandered down the hall slowly before leaning against the wall. I heard, maybe, the doors open. Probably just some Host Club guest going to the bathroom.

I sighed. Ah, why am I feeling so depressing and gloomy and mopey? If this were an anime, I'd have a gloomy aura surrounding me. Those purple and blue ones with swirls and lines…

I slid down to sit on the ground, pulling my knees toward my chest. Then I buried my head in my arms.

Then I heard a familiar giggle. "Ri-chan, what are you doing?"

Even though he was close to me during the first four hours of the day, I still missed him. Especially when compared to that stupid Minoru!

I raised my head up slowly.

Honey was there, sitting next to me with his usual, cheery grin. Just seeing his bright face made traces of a smile appear.

"Mitsukuni," I said slowly. Then I remembered what I'd been thinking earlier, and I ducked my face back into my arms. Gah, so stupid! Feeling jealous just because of that girl...Argh! Damn you Aya-chan! My face flushed from embarrassment and mild anger.

"What's wrong? Why didn't you come in?" Honey asked, in concern. He's such a nice guy. He's so sweet and caring, and he really notices lots of things.

I sighed quietly. At this rate, I was going to lose all of my soul.

"Nothing," I mumbled.

"But you look really...sad," Honey said.

I sneaked a peek at him. He was leaning towards me. When he caught my gaze, he grinned. "Come on. You can tell me!"

"No." I tightened my grip on my sleeves. "It's stupid. And selfish."

"That's okay!"

I stood up abruptly, snatching up my school bag. "I have to go, Mitsukuni. See you tomorrow."

"Wait!"

Honey's hand wrapped around my wrist gently. He pulled me in the opposite direction. While debating whether or not to jerk my hand away, he had led me down the hallway and to another one.

"Remember when you told me to tell you if you were ever doing something I didn't like?" Honey asked. His expression was strange. It looked… He looked so sad and painful. I lost all will to fight him then.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I already knew what he had to say.

"I don't like what you're doing right now, Rika." He said fiercely, staring straight into my eyes. His grip on my right wrist tightened. His hand was warm. "Please tell me what's wrong."

But how could I? How could I say that I was jealous of all those girls in there? I had no right to. We were just friends. A fake couple. And how stupid was that? Being jealous of them, when I got to spend so much time with him?

I shook my head, refusing to meet his gaze. "But it's so stupid!" It sounded like I was whining. Why was I whining about something stupid like this? I might as well tell him. No, I should twist it around a bit.

"It's not stupid if it's bothering you this much." Honey said gently.

Why is he so good at coaxing me?

"I'm jealous, okay?" I replied, glancing up briefly. His eyes were warm, as usual, but they didn't have the typical spark of innocence and liveliness. I turned away, breaking eye contact. "O-Of… y-you and everyone in the Host Club. Ca-Cause you guys get to have fun everyday, while I'm at Chess Club. And Chess Club is so boring, and I don't like it. The President there isn't the nicest. There's only a few people there that I know and like. Actually, like two or three people… and… Do you see what I mean by it's stupid?"

I bit my lip, admiring my brown shoes. They were just _so_ interesting right now, you know? Like, so much more pleasing to my eyeballs than who-knows-what expression Honey's making right now.

I felt Honey's hand loosen, and, for some strange reason, I felt sad and disappointed. Then his hand brushed my arm lightly. What?

He pulled me into a hug abruptly, wrapping his arms around my neck. I gasped quietly. Wh-What?!

"Mitsu-Mitsukuni?" I said.

"Sorry, I just feel like doing this." He replied. His breath tickled my ear, and I smiled at the odd sensation.

Gah, I am definitely, definitely blushing! If anyone finds us here though!

Oh well. Heehee. He's hugging me. He's hugging me!

I wrapped my own arms around him. This was nice. If we could just stay here like this… maybe he could take away all the depressing thoughts inside of me. Maybe I'll be able to sleep well tonight.

"There's nothing wrong with feeling jealous, Rika." Honey said.

I chuckled in embarrassment. "It-It's nothing. When I think about it, it was kinda stupid. It's fine. I don't really care right now." Probably because I'm melting in your arms…

"Next time, please tell me."

"Okay."

"Whatever it is, please tell me."

"Okay."

"And I'll try and help in whatever way I can." He pulled back with a kind smile.

"Then you tell me any of your troubles too." I replied, smiling back. "Deal?"

He nodded. "Mm!"

And… time for the awkward silence. Yup, awkward. I forced another smile. "Thanks for your worries, Mitsukuni. I'll be going then." Then I walked briskly away from Honey.

* * *

><p><strong>And the sort-of-love-rival has appeared! Love rivals are always necessary to fire up the feelings. Oh and if you don't know how to play chess, well, simply put: Rika was creamed by Hatsumi.<strong>

**I have finals next week. Yay... And I will be updating next week, no worries. My school life shan't affect my story! :D Good luck to any of you out there taking finals. Or tests. Or anything.**

**Please review! And thank you for reading! :) See you all next week.**


	29. A pleasant and terrible surprise

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all the follows and favorites! **

**cloudsinwonderland****: **If you have any criticism, please tell me! And honest people are awesome! Therefore, you're awesome! :D You know, honesty is the best policy! Lol, there's plenty of fluff in this chapter too, and no not really an honor student. Thank you a lot!

**RM Kox****: **Hi there! Thank you for reading my story, and I hope you continue to do so. :) Do you like fluff?

**Karnevalfreak59**: Oh, you're back! I was wondering why Minoru hadn't been murdered yet, lol. Yes, I think I can see the mosaic blocks that used to be Minoru. Thanks for the review! ^_^ And a kiss will be coming... in the not-too-near future.

**articwolfgirl347: **You've returned! Hooray! Lol crown jewels, thanks for the review and for coming back! Hope you like this chapter! :)

**AwakenedSecrets:** There's more fluff in this chapter. Hehe, I'm glad you liked the jealous Rika. Thank you for the review! Hopefully you won't be so sleepy this time :D

**DreamTrance14:** Smexy? Lol, that's probably the best way to describe him. I get what you mean, and that's probably the reason why Hikaru is so much more popular than his twin bro. Ah, actually I can't wait for them to kiss either! _ Kinda frustrating but there's so much other big stuff that happens before it. Anyway, hope you like this chapter too! :) And thanks as always.

**SmolderingBlackRose:** So I was going to write what happens at their lunch cause of their review, but then I really wanted the stuff that happens in this chapter to be put up. Cause it's big stuff, and nothing big really happens during lunch, as you'll soon see. So yeah, there's more detail to it though, and I hope it satisfies you :) Thank you for the review!

**LadyMorph18:** Hi! You have a very good question that no one has yet asked! Actually, yes, the kidnapping plot thing is the main conflict along with Rika's relationship with Honey and others. This chapter should clear things up. And thank you for reviewing! :D

**Guest KatHAT:** Hi KatHAT! It's a cute name. I'm sorry, but you'll just have to be a bit more patient. It's coming. It's all coming. Lol, you're a little evil one aren't you? :P Thanks a lot for the review, and to answer your first question (spoiler alert!): It'll be in private.

**Strawberry Neko:** Good luck with your finals! :D And thank you for reviewing and being so awesome! Are you looking forward to summer?

**Guest: **Hello, ok thanks for the feedback. It's that childhood friendship thing, isn't it? Lol, would you like to see any fluff scenes between Kyoya and Rika? Thanks for the review! ^-^

**guest:** So about the fluff scene, I can do it, but it won't really happen until two-three chapters from now. So if you'll be patient, and it's not too fluffy, but it'll happen. Thank you for reviewing!

**PhoenixOtaku:** You came back too! :D This is marvelous! And what do you mean when you use the word vivid? Vivid in what way? Please explain some more if you could. Lol, go aliens who like cake! It's a strange combination, don't you think? Thank you for reviewing! And it's good to see you again! :)

**So some crazy stuff is going to happen. T for the major swearing. Hope you like it! :)**

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><p>Saturday afternoon, I met up with Chiyo in front of a sushi place she'd chosen. She was quite the avid sushi lover and convinced me that day that sushi was one of the best foods in the world. After lunch, we roamed about the city, looking at stores and people. She was very spirited as usual. We tried on some clothes and hats and laughed at nearly everything. At one store, Chiyo stacked seven hats on to my head until they all came tumbling down and the storekeeper started shooting ugly daggers at us.<p>

It was fun, actually. It was perhaps the first time in years that I had genuine fun looking at clothes and shops with another girl. We visited toy stores, checking out the new fancy technology that was considered a toy for children these days, like pretty remote-controlled helicopters and learning tablets. There were a few dessert places that we peeked into but didn't order anything.

After a while, we called up the other three, and all got some ice cream. Then we visited an arcade and played games for another hour or so. Chiyo was surprisingly good at the race car games, and we competed against each other. Atsuo was amazing at the basketball shooting game, while Ikuma, an intense video gamer, reached a high score in a shooting game. They were an amusing bunch, and I personally thought the afternoon was well spent.

I still couldn't sleep very well, but I brushed it off. I busied myself studying, trying not to think of how tired I felt. Why couldn't I sleep regularly? It was so frustrating.

The next week passed quickly. Everyone was rushing to study for the coming exams. Chess Club was still in full swing, and I continued to beat the other members. I talked to Shuji and Tomiko more. Tomiko was a very kind but quiet girl. And she stammered quite a bit, but it was nice to talk to her. Honey didn't mention anything about Friday, keeping his usual bright grin.

Friday evening, I collapsed on my bed exhausted. I was only getting about six to five hours of sleep everyday thanks to my strange bout of insomnia. I sighed and closed my eyes. So… tired.

Maybe if I go for a run, I'll be able to sleep well. Tomorrow then. It's already late.

"Azumi, I want to go for a run." I said, standing in front of my maid. I'd need sneakers and running shorts or sweatpants. A comfortable t-shirt would be nice too. But currently I was wearing a simple, black skirt and a white, polo shirt.

"A run?" She asked.

"Yes, like go outside and running a lap around the neighborhood," I replied. "I want to exercise."

"Why don't you just take a walk instead, Rika-sama?" Azumi suggested, and that basically meant that no, I could not go for a run.

I sighed. "Yes." I grabbed my cellphone and my umbrella and stepped outside. I wandered down the sidewalk, staring at the humongous houses. Then I left the neighborhood, heading towards the park nearby.

Ring!

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rika." Mikiya said. "Could you go to Sachi Park right now?" Hey, that was the one I was heading towards.

"Yeah. I'm going there right now." I stopped in front of the gatekeeper's booth. He nodded at me, and the pedestrian gate opened for me to pass through.

"You are?" He sounded surprised. "Okay, great!"

"Why though?" I asked.

I could hear his smile. "There's a nice surprise waiting for you."

"Okay…" I replied. I wasn't very fond of surprises though. "It better be nice. If it isn't… I will get revenge."

He laughed. "Okay, Captain. Bye then."

"Bye."

I walked over to the set of swings and kicked at the dirt floor. This obviously wasn't a very high-end park. Even though it was so close to that rich neighborhood? How surprising. I shut my umbrella, standing under the shade of a tree. Today was pretty nice. The sun was warm, and there was a light breeze rustling around.

"Rika-nee!"

I froze. That voice.

His black hair was as dark as his brother's, but he had it cut in a much shorter, cleaner style. His dark brown eyes were wide, and he looked as innocent as he had been years ago.

"Oh my God." I said, gaping at him just like how I'd reacted when I saw Mickey. I launched myself at him and threw my arms around his skinny frame. "Oh my God, Yuuta!"

I started laughing in happiness. He caught me, swinging me around in a semi-circle. Damn it, why were they all so much taller than me? So unfair!

"Rika-nee! I can't believe it! So Mikiya-senpai was right." He set me back down and adjusted his gray hoodie. Dang it, he's like a whole half-head taller than me! "He said I'd find you here."

"Yeah he called me and told me to come here." I replied grinning. "Ah! You've grown so much, little Yuu-chan! You're taller than me! So what grade are you in now?"

He smiled in that kind and soft way of his. "I'm a third year in middle school. I'll be going to high school next year."  
>"Akawari High?" I asked.<p>

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Graduating from middle school," I said with a small, amused smile. "Amazing! And last time I saw you, you were still in elementary!"  
>He chuckled. "Yeah."<p>

"So how is it? What's it like back there?" We started walking slowly away from the swings.

"It's very peaceful now, thanks to you and Akane-senpai." He replied, then started laughing quietly. "If you were there, oh, you wouldn't believe it. The Red Dragons are really famous now, and you're like an urban legend."

"What? How is that possible?"

"Because when Akane-senpai finally got all the gangs to quiet down, you were already gone. But they all talked about you, and the other gangs all know about you. The other gangs don't have a very good impression of you, of course, always saying how freaky and scary you were. The town thinks you're some hero though. Some people don't believe it since you just disappeared and no one could find where Akamatsu Rika went off to. And Onii-chan is always complaining about how every year people try and join the club."  
>"Still the Town Adventurers?" I grinned, and Ryota had called that a lame name.<p>

Yuuta beamed. "Yup! Nobody wants to change it. And nobody else can join except for the people who'd been a part of it before. Onii-chan said I could create a club like that next year, if I want to, but I don't want to."

I smirked. Oh Ryota. He's a softie in the heart. "Wait, how come you can come here right now? Don't you have exams coming up? Did you take the train?"  
>"We're already done. We just took our high school entrance exams. Right now, my grade is on a field trip this weekend but my mom couldn't pay for it. It was a boring trip anyway, so I guess I don't care." Yuuta replied with a small shrug.<p>

"So you took the train then? How much did you pay for a ticket like that?"

"Yeah, I did. I think it was 2,500 yen. It's not that bad compared to how much the field trip would have cost. Besides, it was Akane-senpai who gave me the money."

I nodded. It wasn't that expensive then. "How's your mom?"

"Better than the last time you saw her," Yuuta turned away. This had always been a sensitive topic. "She stopped drinking so much at least, but she still works really hard and long hours. Onii-chan wants her to change jobs, and she's looking for a better one."

I smiled. That was good. They were doing well then.

"Onii-chan really misses you, Rika-nee." Yuuta looked at me. "When are you going to come and visit?"

I shook my head. "I can't. Not for a while, at least. I don't know when, but I'll try." I smiled reassuringly.

"Then maybe we should come and visit you. How are you doing, Rika-nee? What's it like, living in such a rich house?"

"Eh," I shrugged. "It'd be great if it weren't for the fact that my mom and everyone else expects me to be all perfect. I can't read any manga, watch any anime, or practice any of my martial arts. It sucks! It's pretty boring, except for the Host Club. Mikiya met them. Did you hear about it?"

Yuuta nodded. "Yeah. Aren't they a group of really handsome guys who just flirt with a bunch of other girls?" He chuckled. "Onii-chan and Akane-senpai were so mad when they heard about it."

"Akane too?" I laughed. "What is she mad about?"

"Well she thought they were a bunch of perverts and womanizers." He replied.

Of course Akane would. When she meets the Host Club though, I'm sure she'll love them. "What did Mina and Mikiya say?" I asked curiously.

"Mikiya-senpai just said that they were some good but strange people. Mina-senpai wants to meet them." Yuuta grinned. "Probably to check out how good looking they really are. Ah, but that would make Mikiya-senpai mad, huh?" He laughed.

"Oh yeah, Yuu-chan, what's going on between Mina and Mikiya? They're still together, aren't they?" I glanced at Yuuta, as we turned and began walking back towards the swings.

"They are! Mina-senpai just suggested that they take a break so that the two can focus on their studies. Since their mid-term exams are coming up, and because they both want to do well in college entrance exams. They're studying really hard these days."

"That's good." I said with a sigh. "I was thinking they'd broken up."

Yuuta smirked teasingly. "What about you, Rika-nee? Do you have a boyfriend? Onii-chan heard about some Haninozuka guy. Is he your boyfriend?"

I blushed madly. That Mikiya! He did tell Ryota! "Th-"

A hand clamped down around my mouth. I saw Yuuta's eyes widen. No way. I could see two - no, three - more surrounding us. Another hand wrapped around my waist. I slammed my elbow back and bit the hand. I had to get Yuuta away, now.

"Ow!" The guy behind me jerked his hand away, while I turned and kicked the guy in the side.

"Run Yuu-chan!" I yelled, punching the next guy.

"No way!" I heard him shout back. From the corner of my eye, I saw him punch a different guy. "Who are these people?"

"Kidnappers!" I kicked a guy in the stomach. Then a punch to the solar plexus. How many were there?

Click.

"Stop this instance." A cold voice said. I froze, breathing shallowly. That sound. Please let it not be…

Oh, fuck!

A sleek gun was aimed at Yuuta's head. His arms were in the air, and there was sheer panic and fear in his eyes.

"Stop!" I said, raising my arms up too. "Stop, please. Don't hurt him." There were six guys, all wearing sunglasses, black t-shirts, and dark jeans. Three were gradually picking themselves up off the ground. Only one had a gun, for all that I knew. I walked towards Gun Guy. "Please, let him go, and I'll go with you guys without a fight. I swear. He has nothing to do with this. He isn't even from the area. He doesn't know who you guys are. Or what you guys want. And he-"

Gun Guy swung the gun to point at me. I swallowed nervously. It's okay. He won't shoot me because he's trying to get me alive. Even though I told myself that, I started sweating and I could feel adrenaline kicking in uselessly.

"He doesn't know anything." I pleaded. "So please let him go. I'll do whatever you guys want."

"The two of you will do what I want you to do," Gun Guy said, aiming the gun back at Yuuta. "If you don't listen, I'll shoot him."

"No no no." I shook my head fiercely while maintaining eye contact. "Don't hurt him. Please don't. I'll do whatever you say."  
>Yuuta stared at the Gun Guy, then the gun, and then me. His eyes were begging that something change, but there was nothing that could be done.<p>

They tied Yuuta and my hands up with some rope and led us towards a white van. How cliche is that? It's always a white van, isn't it? Pedophiles, kidnappers, and all sorts of creepy, sketchy things use white vans. Why don't they get a blue van for once? Or a nice, neon orange van. Yeah, that'd be great.

The door slid open, and they pushed me in to the back, a dark section behind the second row seats. I could feel hard wires snaking across the floor. What the heck? They bound my legs and then blindfolded and gagged me. I felt Yuuta being shoved next to me.

Oh damn it.

Damn it.

Damn damn damn.

I am so fucked now. This sucks! Please, somebody! Hurry up and get Yuuta and me out of here! Or just Yuuta! That'd be fine too! Someone!

Mitsukuni…

Oh, what am I thinking? There's no way he'd come. It's more likely for the Black Garlic Squad to come. Oh man, and Mom isn't even in the area. Actually, I have no idea where she is! She might even be in a completely different country!  
>Oh shit!<p>

This sucks.

And this is why I hate surprises.

Someone… Help... This is so annoying. What do they want from me? Just to ransom me off? Ugh. They better not do anything else. They better not touch Yuuta. If they hurt him, I will make sure they suffer something worse than death. I'm sure Mom and Dad will easily pay the ransom but what if they still kill Yuuta? They don't really need him except to make me do what they want.

How long has it been already?

Fifteen minutes? Five? It's so hard to tell.

The car stopped abruptly. Ouch, come on. Don't these people have some better driving skills?

"Aw shit!" The driver guy probably said. I heard what sounded like someone smacking the driving wheel. "What the hell is going on?"

"Police?" Another guy said.

Police?! Yes! They've come!  
>"No, the traffic lights are just out." A 3rd guy said. It sounded like Gun Guy. Then someone's hand patted my thigh. Gah! Pervert! I felt my cellphone being pulled out of my pocket. Oh okay.<p>

"Got her phone," A different guy again. "And his."

"Man this sucks!" Driver guy yelled, honking the horn. "Why is it taking so long?"

"Just be patient. Don't try and attract attention." Gun guy scolded.

The car crept slowly. Good, at least this means I'll still be somewhat close to where I was kidnapped. I'm sure Azumi will get worried eventually. Once she figures out something is wrong, the Squad will come.

Or maybe the police will come. I don't know when, but they'll come. Mom will too. There's no way she'd just let them get away with this. Even if she did pay the ransom, I feel like she'd send some Black Garlic Squad members to retaliate against the kidnappers.

"Damn it, there's more police at the next light!"

"Turn here then!"

"Here? What the hell, it's another park."

"We just have to get out of this area."

"So annoying, man."

"Someone call the boss."

"Oh, what the fuck?!"  
>"What now?"<br>"There's some retard standing on the street!"

Honk! Hoooonk!

"Damn it, he won't move!"

"Well, run him over then!"

"Are you guys fucking retarded? You can't just run him over! You want to kill someone?"

"Why the hell is he so tall anyway? What is he, a giant?"

"Oh, just stop already!"

What is going on? A super tall guy standing in the middle of the road? The car slowed to a stop, and I heard the door opening.

"Oi, you idiot! Get off the road!"

A strange sound of grinding metal pierced my ear. What in the world? Then shouts started. What?

I could hear the sound of fighting. Did someone finally come? Was it the Black Garlic Squad?

"Rika!"

That voice. It sounded like heaven to me.

I squirmed and tried to sit up, pushing myself into a slight sitting position. Mitsukuni! He did come!

"Freeze!" Click.

Oh great. The gun's probably pointing at Yuuta. But Mitsukuni doesn't know who Yuuta is! At least, he wouldn't be able to recognize him right? Oh God. Oh no. What if Yuuta gets shot, right here?

A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet roughly. I felt the cold metal pushed against my cheek.

Ohh. The gun's at me. Okay, that's a bit better. At least Yuuta's not in danger, and there's no way Mitsukuni's going to let me die. Right?

"Don't move! Or I shoot!"

Obviously.

The guy was breathing heavily. What happened to the rest of his buddies? I started shaking my head furiously. The blindfold was loose. If I could just get it off...

"What are you doing, you weirdo?" The guy asked, jamming the gun against me. Ouch. "Now. You, kid, back away. Get out of the car. You guys are going to let me go without following, you hear me? Or I shoot her! Or I can shoot him!"

That must be Yuuta.

Damn it! There's no way I'm letting that happen when I'm so close. I shook my head one final time and the fold finally slipped down a bit. I could see the sight, even if it was just with one eye.

The other five guys were lying on the concrete out of the car. Most of them were out cold. Honey was standing right in front of the open car door. Wait a minute… There was something that looked like… No. That is! The entire car door had been ripped off of its frame and was on the ground. So that's the sound I'd heard!

There were several Black Garlic Squad members behind him, and Mori was there as well. I found Honey's sweet brown eyes.

While the guy continued to babble hysterically, I tried to tell Honey my plan. There was no way I was going to go with this guy. Not when I was so close to safety. And I had to get Yuuta out of here too. If I couldn't escape, then I had to at least get Yuuta out. He didn't even belong here!

Honey nodded, in a very subtle way.

I took in a deep breath to calm myself. Here goes…

I pulled my tied hands towards me, leaning forward slightly, and then launched myself backwards, swinging my hands with as much force as I could to crash into his… Well, surely it can be inferred.

I'd lost my balance though. I was falling backwards. My feet squirmed in a pathetic attempt to regain my balance.

I heard the guy grunt from the pain. Then the gun fired. Bang!

Shit that better not be Yuuta! I will murder him if it is!

Honey leapt into the car.

I was falling. I was going to fall on that guy soon. Crap! No amount of foot wiggling could help me steady myself.

Bang!

Another one. Fear gripped me. I was fine but… what if Yuuta-? Honey's right arm wrapped around me, pulling me up towards him. I hopped a bit to try and regain my balance.

I could hear the sounds of Honey beating that guy up. With just one foot too, since he was holding onto me with one arm. His other leg kept him standing, while his other arm kept him balanced.

I glanced at Honey. His normally bright eyes were dark and serious. He looked… Was he angry? He looked like he wanted to kill-

"Mitsukuni!" I tried to say, but it just came out muffled. He glanced at me and the darkness quickly receded. With a smooth motion, he picked me up - bridal style again - and jumped out of the car.

He set me down on the ground gently and then pried the tape off my mouth.

I gasped, licking my lips. Ugh, gross.

Honey pulled the blindfold off and then smiled at me in relief. His eyes were still so dark. What happened to his usually cheerful self? "Are you alright, Rika?"

I nodded. "Yes! And Yuuta-"

"The Squad's getting him." He replied softly. I glanced up and saw the black-clad members swarming the van. Yuuta was pulled out, in a condition similar to mine.

"Is he Goofy's little brother?" Honey asked in a quiet whisper, as he pulled out a small blade and began working on the rope around my feet.

"Yes." I said, watching as a Squad member began cutting the rope around Yuuta's wrists. I met his eyes and nodded reassuringly. I could still see the wild panic and fear in them. Ryota would be furious if he knew what his younger brother had just been subjected to.

"Thanks for coming, Mitsukuni." I said softly.

"It's nothing." He replied, as the rope came loose. He looked at me intently again, studying me, as if searching for something.

"I'm fine." I said. "They didn't hurt me."

Bang!

Both our eyes widened, and Honey tackled me down to the hard ground. Ouch, my back. Stupid concrete and those tiny pebbles. I watched as Gun Guy stood up shakily within the van, waving the gun at the Squad members below him.

He was beaten badly. His face was already swollen. His hair was matted with blood. This was what Honey had done? The guy looked like he could die at any moment.

I turned my head to Yuuta, who was being shielded by a Squad member. Then I returned my attention to the guy.

He raised the gun to his head.

My gazed locked with Honey's. I looked back towards the guy.

Bang!

Honey's hand covered my eyes.

No.

Why?

I felt frozen to the core. Why? I might not have seen it, but I knew what had happened.

Honey sat up and pulled me up with him. We sat at the curb. I was, for some reason I couldn't fathom, sitting in his lap. He pulled me towards him. I could feel his warm arms around my waist. He was a comforting presence.

"Why would he?" I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Why? He could- He would have lived. We wouldn't have - he wouldn't have died. It's not like - Mom wouldn't torture him. He could have-" My throat stopped working. I couldn't cry either, not for this guy who had kidnapped and threatened me.

Honey rubbed my back soothingly. "It's okay. It's over now."

I felt a gentle pat on my head. Looking up, I saw Mori crouched next to us. His smile was warm.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled Honey closer. If I could just disappear for a moment. Seeing a gun, and seeing someone die right in front of me. These were all new. It was so strange. One moment before, he was screaming and fighting, and the next, he was completely lifeless. He couldn't do anything else anymore.

Why?

I buried my face into Honey's shoulder. I was exhausted. Why? The question kept repeating in my head. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight too.

"Rika-nee," Yuuta's quiet voice drifted over. I lifted my head up, as Yuuta scooted over to Honey's side.

"Are you okay?" I asked, leaning towards him. Stupid me. How could I just forget about Yuuta? Who knew how scared he'd been in that van. I grabbed his face and tilted it left and right for inspection.

He placed his hands on mine. His brown eyes were soft and concerned. He was such a sweet boy. "I'm fine. Are you?"

I nodded, biting a lip. Oh, Ryota would be so pissed if he knew… "Yeah. Oh, and this is Haninozuka Mitsukuni." I gestured at Honey who grinned in his usual manner.

"Nice to meet you!" Honey said, and I realized then that his arms hadn't removed themselves from around my waist.

"Asari Yuuta." Yuuta bowed slightly from his sitting position. "Ah, but you probably don't know me."

"Rika-senpai!"

I glanced up and saw Chiyo towards us. "Chiyo?" I said, nearly choking on my own words. I cleared my throat.

"Are you alright?" Chiyo asked, looking like she was near tears.

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yes. I'm alright. What are you doing here?"

"I saw them kidnap you! And so I called the police! And your house and Honey-senpai!" Chiyo replied fiercely. "I'm so glad you're alright!" She hugged me with a deadly grip.

"Sorry for worrying you." I patted her back. Well, this is a bit awkward. I'm sitting on Honey, and now Chiyo is hugging me and putting quite some weight on me. I hope Honey doesn't mind.

"Oh wait!" I said abruptly. "My cellphone is still-"

"Got it here, Rika-sama!" One Squad member called, waving my phone and another one in the air. He handed Yuuta and I our respective phones. I nodded. They were handcuffing and sticking the unconscious guys one-by-one into a green van. Other than the white van, there was also a limo and two green vans. Those were used by the Black Garlic Squad.

"Let's go home." Honey said with a small smile.

I smiled at him. "Yes." I stood and held out a hand to him. He seemed happier when he saw that, taking it and standing up by himself.

The five of us filed into the limo. Once we were settled, Honey's warm hand fell on top of mine. I glanced at him with a light blush. Uwaa~

"Rika-nee," Yuuta said.

"Wait, Rika-senpai, he's your younger brother?" Chiyo asked, pointing at Yuuta sitting next to her.

"Sort of," I replied with a smile.

"Eh? Really?" Chiyo gaped at him. "But you look so…" She tilted her head and then pinched his cheek lightly. "Oh, you do look like Rika-senpai!" She beamed.

"I was going to ask if Rika-nee is dating Haninozuka-san." Yuuta said, brushing Chiyo's hand away calmly.

"What?!" Chiyo stared at us in shock. "That can't be true!"

Um well…

I glanced at Honey, then shook my head. "No, we're not."

Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms with a pout. "So you guys are dating. Hmph. Well, Honey-senpai, since you saved Rika-senpai, I'll let you date her."

Honey giggled.

"But if you make Rika-senpai cry!" Chiyo declared dramatically, pointing into the air. "I'll make you sorry!"

"That'll never happen." I said, grinning. "And don't tell anyone else, okay? Please, Chiyo-san?"

She nodded. "I won't! I'll keep your secret, Rika-senpai!"

Yuuta sighed, turning towards the window.

"Are you mad?" Honey asked Yuuta. "Yuu-chan?"

He seemed to flinch at the nickname. Only I called him that, even Ryota didn't. He stared at Honey and then shrugged. "No. It's just that…" He glanced at Chiyo and then shook his head. "Never mind."

We sat in silence for a while, until the limo stopped at a huge mansion.

"I guess I have to go then." Chiyo said, staring out the window at the building.

"Thanks for what you did, Chiyo-san." I said.

"It's nothing. I'm just glad you're safe." She had a sweet smile. Then, she grabbed my face and planted a kiss on my cheek. I froze and felt my face burn. Chiyo giggled. "Rika-senpai blushing is so cute! Bye then!"

She left with a wave and a bright grin.

The limo was silent as it began moving once again. I coughed, unsure of how I should feel. Only Mom and Dad have ever kissed me on the cheek before.

"So!" I said a bit louder than I'd anticipated. I cleared my throat and forced myself to look at Yuuta. "What did you want to say, Yuu-chan?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Just forget it."

"Does it have something to do with your brother?" Honey smiled innocently. That little…

Yuuta's eyes widened, and then he turned to me in surprise. "Does he know? How does he know? You told him?" I nodded at all his questions. "What? Damn it! So Mikiya-senpai was right!"

"Hey, don't swear." I said with a frown. It was hypocritical for me to say something like that, but Yuuta was still so innocent. "And right about what?"

Yuuta ran a hand through his hair, a habit that reminded me of his brother. He must have picked up on swearing from Ryota. That bad role model!

"Never mind. Forget it already. I shouldn't have said anything." He looked out the window and then at his watch. "Maybe I should just get going back."

"But I've only seen you for a while!" I said, leaning forward.

"Well I was only planning on staying for the afternoon anyway." Yuuta said with a sigh. "Besides, the train ride back takes a while. I might as well get going now."

I reached around for my wallet, only to realized it wasn't there. I sighed. I wanted to pay for his trip back, especially since the way things turned out.

"How much is it?" Honey's voice penetrated through my sad thoughts.

"2,500 yen." Yuuta replied.

"Wait," I said in protest.

"You don't have any money right now right?" Honey asked, glancing at me. I sighed, nodding. "It's fine. This is just pocket money to me, and my parents always give me a lot of cash."

He handed the money over. Yuuta stared at it and then smiled. "I always thought rich people were snobby and super stingy. But I guess that's not true! Of course, Rika-nee has always been an exception. I guess rich people aren't so bad, huh?" He grinned, taking the money. Yes, now that was the usual bright look he had.

"Come back and visit another time, Yuuta." I said, as the limo pulled up towards the train station.

"The next time I come will be summertime." He replied calmly, opening the door himself. "Please be careful, Rika-nee! Thanks, Haninozuka-san. Bye now!"

We waved. Then the limo was moving again.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday is my last day of school! :D Yayyyyy! So I might update later this week, but no guarantees, okay? <strong>

**Also, now that I will be on summer break, I should be able to update more often. I was thinking either an update once every 5 days (instead of 7) or just weekly and longer updates. What do you guys think? Any preferences? Or no opinion? I could just update whenever I feel like it. I dunno what I'm gonna do, just be prepared for a wave of updates!**

**By the way, who liked Yuuta?**

**Please review! And thank you for reading! :D**


	30. The surprise aftermath

**Wow. It's chapter 30. This is definitely going to be the longest story I have ever written. Thank you all once again, for the follows, favorites, and lovely reviews! This story could not have gotten this far without each and every one of you. **

**AwakenedSecrets: **Lol, okay, so I went and counted and I think the gang members will be about five-ish chapters away, not counting this one. Please be patient! XD There will be lots of fluff and other exciting events in between. Good luck with the rest of your school! You can do it! :) You're almost done anyway. Thanks for the fun review!

**Karnevalfreak59:** Summer break! Yay! :D I think the twins were like the corpse. You know, they can poke it and have fun with it. But Honey would enjoy it too! Lol, or you can keep the corpse. Thanks for the feedback and review! I'll try longer chapters after this and maybe the next one.

**cloudsinwonderland: **Yeah, isn't sushi so deliciousss? As for your question, that will be answered in... several chapters later. Sorry, don't want to ruin it. Thanks for all your kind words! Good luck with school! :) And maybe treat yourself to sushi afterwards.

**SmolderingBlackRose: **Yay, thank you so much! And more OCs coming! Are you out of school yet? And I hope you like this chapter! :) You get to meet two more OCs.

**DreamTrance14: **Hehe, why are you waiting for Tamaki's reaction? :D Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked Yuuta. He's supposed to be all sweet and innocent. Hope you like this chapter! ^-^

**Farrafelpies: **Oh, cute little girls can be sooo evil! And tee hee laughs can also be soo creepy! Lol, thanks so much for your super kind words! :D It's nice to meet you, by the way, and hopefully you'll stick around!

**PhoenixOtaku: **Do you not like swear words? Sorry, if you don't. I don't swear myself, but I felt that cussing was a part of Rika's character. Maybe this will help? When you see a swear word, just read it as "bleep" instead, lol. It works for me. So like damn it becomes bleep it. Lol, anyway thanks a lot for the review! Yay, I'm glad on the feelsplosion thing, haha, nice word. This is getting long. Anyway, thanks a lot! :D I hope you like this chapter!

**Strawberry Neko: **Ahh, I'm sorry but the kiss will have to take a while! Thank you for the feedback! I'll go for five days then, or maybe I'll double update each week. Hehe, hope you like this chapter! ^-^

**Hime1234:** Hi! Thanks for the review! And here's the update! :)

**Yup, it's summer. Thanks for all the kind and encouraging words of support, you guys! You're all so nice! :D Anyone still in school, keep working hard! You can do it!**

**This chapter is a bit filler-like, but there is more information about other things tucked in here. And maybe those who don't like Rika's mom might change their opinions about her, or maybe not. Guess we'll see! Hope you like the chapter! :)**

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mitsukuni, the car door was ripped off. Did you do that?" I asked casually, as the limo driver headed towards our neighborhood.<p>

He nodded and grinned innocently. "Yup!"

Scary. How strong is he to be able to rip off a large chunk of metal from an even larger chunk of metal? He must have seen my expression because he giggled and said, "I just really wanted to get to you, Rika."

No, that's not an adequate excuse for such a show of extreme strength. I brushed it off though. It was Honey, after all. What could you expect? "Thanks for coming to get me. Again." I smiled. "You too, Mori." I turned to the quiet but strong presence sitting on the opposite side of Honey.

He nodded.

_Ring!_

Hey, that was my phone! I fished it out of my pocket.

"Hello?"

"Rika? Oh thank goodness, you're alright." It was Mom. She sounded genuinely concerned, and I thought I heard her let out a sigh too.

"Mom."

Honey glanced at me, looking concerned. His hand tightened around mine. I wrapped my fingers around his, squeezing back.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? They didn't do anything right? Who are you with right now?" Mom asked, rapidly firing the questions.

"I'm fine. No, they didn't hurt me. And I'm with Mitsukuni. He came to get me." I smiled. "Um, does Azumi know?"

"Yes, she was the one who informed me. Thank goodness." Mom was silent for a moment. "Then I'll see you at home in a few more hours."

"What? But aren't you at a business trip-"

"Yes, but I must come home now. I'm not going to let this incident pass like the last one. I just have to clear up some things and get home. Could you pass the phone to Haninozuka-kun?"

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"Because I would like to speak to him, that's why. Now pass the phone to him, Rika dear." Mom's voice turned stern. She wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Yes." I handed the phone to Honey. "Mom wants to talk to you."

His eyes widened but he took the phone. "Hello?"

I leaned towards him to try and hear what Mom was saying. He glanced at me, as if considering asking me to not listen in, then he shrugged.

"Hello, Haninozuka-kun. This is Rika's mother."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'm." Honey replied politely. It's a good thing Honey has such good manners.

"Yes, I heard you saved Rika from the kidnappers… Thank you."

Wow, surprise! Mom is saying thanks!

"It's nothing, Oshiro-san. I wanted to save Rika for my own reasons." Honey said, sounding serious unlike his usual childish self. What? What reasons? A sense of duty since we're friends? Or because we're faking a relationship?

"Could Rika stay by your side for the next few hours? If it's not much trouble, and once I get back, I'll take her off your hands."

What am I, a little kid needing to be babysat? I frowned.

"It's not trouble at all!" He replied cheerfully, grinning. "It'll be fun actually."

"Good. Thank you, Haninozuka-kun. Good bye then."

"Bye." Honey snapped my phone shut and handed it back. "Seems like we'll be playing together today!"

I nodded. "Guess we'll just…"

"Cake?" He suggested, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh! That's it!" I grinned in satisfaction. "Why don't you come over and eat some cake? I'll make the cake! There's something I want you to try!"

"Okay!"

* * *

><p>When I stepped out of the limo, Azumi came running from the door to us. "Rika-sama!" She yelled, screeching to a halt in front of me. Her arms seemed to flitter indecisively about for a moment before settling on my shoulders.<p>

"I'm back, Azumi!" I said with a cheerful grin.

She stared at me with an open mouth, before smiling warmly herself. "Yes. Welcome home. I'm glad you're safe."

We entered the house. Only Honey came in, since Mori decided to go back. The two of us went to the kitchen quickly.

I started baking immediately, just a plain, yellow cake. He watched in fascination while I worked.

"You've never seen anyone baking a cake before?" I asked him, mixing the eggs in.

"I have. Just not you," He replied.

I explained what I was doing and what ingredient did what to the taste, texture, and appearance of the cake. Then I threw the batter into the oven.

"Now what?" I asked, washing my hands and taking off my plain, white apron.

Honey shrugged. He was looking around the kitchen in fascination.

"Do you want a tour?" I asked. "Have you been here before, Mitsukuni? I don't think you have."

"No, I haven't." Honey replied.

"Okay! I'll give you a tour then as the cake bakes." I pointed at the hallway that led to the main door near the fridge. "That goes to the main door! And, see, over here." In the otherwise empty hallway was a staircase.

"That goes downstairs to our pantry-slash-basement." I said. "It's where we store all our ingredients and food! Most of my baking ingredients are up here though, since I bake in this kitchen. There's also snacks and drinks. But that kitchen is more for the family use than for like servant use."

Honey nodded, peering down the staircase.

"Do want to see it?" I asked, stepping down the nicely carpeted stairs. It was cooler downstairs. The automatic lights flickered on as we reached the floor. There were two rows of dark brown shelves and cabinets. It was a fairly empty and vast room, with a large refrigerator and a freezer at the side. There was also a corner stacked full of dusty cardboard boxes. My parents used this place as a storage room too. I had no idea what was in those boxes, probably just some old things. There was even a filing cabinet next to it, no doubt full of old business papers and contracts. Plastic containers lined another side of the room, along with bags of rice, flour, and sugar.

"Wow," Honey said, staring around.

"The servants mainly use the pantry or cellar or whatever you want to call it." I said, walking across the empty region. "Our chefs use the stuff in here. They cook for us and for all the servants."

"In that kitchen?" He pointed behind us, where the staircase was at.

I shook my head, continuing forward to the second staircase. "No, they have their own. That kitchen is for my family, but only I really use it."

We went up the concrete stairs to the wooden door at the top. I slid it open, already hearing the usual noise.

"Excuse me," I called, stepping into the wide kitchen. Pearly-white counters, black stovetops, and a few cabinets up above to store more commonly used ingredients made up the large kitchen.

"Hello!" The few chefs standing in the kitchen turned to me with smiles and waves.

"It's been a while, Rika-sama." Head Chef Masuno called.

I nodded. "Yes, it has. Is everything alright?"

"Of course," Another chef said.

"Who's the boy, Rika-sama?" The third chef, Anami, asked, gesturing at Honey. She was another one that had worked here for a long time. "Your boyfriend?"

I glanced at Honey. This was so problematic. We were technically going out, but it was fake. And the school couldn't know because that'd cause problems for Honey and the Host Club. So were we dating?

Well, I suppose from Mom's standpoint, we weren't.

"Yup!" Honey replied for me, grinning. "Haninozuka Mitsukuni! Nice to meet you!" He bowed.

And that answers the question…

Anami gasped quietly and then smiled happily. "About time Rika-sama!"

The chefs laughed, and I grinned. They were a kind and cheerful bunch. Not to mention they were very talented with food.

"Want to keep going?" I asked Honey. He nodded. We said our farewells and then moved on.

I pulled Honey along to the doorway. There were two. One headed straight outside, while the other brought us to a wider room. It was rather plain, with one dark red rug, two couches facing each other, and a coffee table between the two. There was a single, wide staircase at the side that ran up to the servants' living quarters.

"This is like… I guess a gathering place for the servants." I said. I turned to Honey. "And over there, those doors are bathrooms for the servants. They're like those big, public ones. The stairs there go up to their rooms. The guys and girls are separated. And, yeah. Here, let's go this way."

We went through the hallway that returned us to the main entrance. "And that's a tour of the servant's area. Want to go see the living room?"

He nodded. "Yeah! And could I see your room?"

"Okay."

* * *

><p>The second floor had not only Kimiko and my room but also my parents' bedroom and their offices. Several guest rooms and a library were all on the second floor too. A part of the third floor was where Azumi and the higher-status servants slept in. About a third of each level was separated from the main area and was where the other servants stayed. The third floor also had the large dojo where lots of Black Garlic Squad members train.<p>

The fourth floor had a small ballroom, a room filled with untouched musical instruments, a rooftop garden, a pool and spa, my dojo, and a mini gym with weight machines and treadmills. It was the recreational level, although rarely did anyone go up there. I gave Honey a quick tour of each floor, before heading back down to the second floor.

My room was pretty bare of anything personal, except for Hiro and Aiko who were sitting next to my pillow.

"Here's my room," I said as we stepped in. "It's not really much."

"That's a lot of books!" Honey gaped, rushing to the bookshelves on the left side of the room.

"I like reading." I smiled. "And my parents do own a bookstore. They kind of stocked those shelves themselves though."

In the corner between the vanity I didn't use and my closet was a light-green, paisley-patterned couch facing a maple and glass coffee table and the huge TV hanging on the wall. That was where my video games should be but were no longer.

Other than that, the door to my bathroom, and the huge bed in the middle, there was my desk, near and facing the doorway. My textbooks and some notes were spread out over the oak surface. I'd been studying before for the coming exam until all hell broke loose. My laptop should also be there, but that had been taken away along with all my other beloved possessions.

I flopped onto my bed. "It's pretty boring compared to yours." I turned to my back with a quiet sigh.

Honey sat down next to me with a grin. "It's nice though."

"Pretty empty. Without any of my manga and anime stuff, it feels really empty and boring."

"Hm." He looked around. "Hey, Rika. How did it happen?"

"How did what?" I sat up and crossed my legs.

"How come Yuu-chan was there and how did you two get kidnapped?" Honey asked. Right, I hadn't told him yet.

"Mikiya told me to go the park, and I was already heading there. Yuu-chan was most likely sent there by the gang. Akane gave him the train ticket money, and obviously Mikiya knows. I have no idea what they're planning though…" I shrugged. "And I was talking to Yuu-chan when they grabbed us. The two of us were fighting back, but then the guy pulled out the gun. They shoved us in the van, drove around, and then you guys came!" I smiled cheerfully. "It wasn't that long actually. You guys were quick!"

_Ding!_

A small bell installed in my room rang. It was designed to ring simultaneously with any oven alarms.

"It's done!" I sprang off the bed and dashed out. "Come on, Mitsukuni!"

"Coming!" I heard him call after me.

* * *

><p>In the middle of the cake, in between the two layers, was a special strawberry jam.<p>

"Want to try a bit of it?" I asked. I scooped a small spoonful of the jam and handed it to Honey. "It's homemade strawberry jam! It's really sweet too. I made it a while ago, but this kind of stuff can last a while."

He took a bite and then nodded. "It's good! Tastes like strawberries!"

I tried a bit myself, scooping some out. It was still as sweet as ever. Yes, this should work for Honey.

After the jam, I spread whipped cream instead of normal icing and then added several fresh strawberry slices and Honey's cute pink rose to the top.

"Oh!" I rummaged through the cupboard before pulling out a box of chocolate animals. "Go ahead and pick one!"

He picked two. A bunny and a bear, sitting on both sides of the chocolate rose. "Cool! It's really cute, Rika!"

I nodded, pulling out my cellphone. I snapped a few pictures and made a few notes. "Okay! Want to eat it now?"

"Yeah!" He grinned. Honey was like a walking ball of energy and happiness. Just seeing his smile made me forget of the day's events.

I cut a slice for him and then one for me. This was my first time putting the strawberry jam in cake. I've only tried it in donuts and with bread before.

"So does your mom know about the two of us?" Honey asked.

"Yeah, but she thinks it's fake." I shrugged, watching in apprehension as Honey bit into the cake.

"Oh," He said quietly, most likely involuntarily.

"What?" I leaned forward, my fork hovering over my own slice.

He looked at me and then grinned. "It's really good, Rika! It's like… a strawberry field on a fluffy cloud!"

I laughed. "Why a strawberry field and a cloud?" Then I took a bite too. It was pretty good, but it didn't seem to carry what I'd imagined it would. I wanted to make the Host Club cakes in a way that, when you ate it, you'd immediately think of that host.

"It's just a lot of strawberries." He replied. "And the whip cream is really fluffy, like a cloud."

"Too much strawberry taste to it?" I asked, worriedly.

Honey shook his head. "No. But that's probably because I really like strawberries. And what are you going to do then? Does that mean you still have to marry that guy?"

"Yeah, after college graduation or something." I shrugged. "I'm not going to marry him though. I'd rather… ugh, I just won't let it happen."

We finished our cake. "Let's go test this." I said, standing up and picking up the cake. "Come on, Mori's at your house right?"

"Test what?" Honey asked, following me out the door.

"This is going to be your Host cake, Mitsukuni!" I smiled. "What do you think? Is it good enough?"

"Yeah!"

The two of us jogged across the lawn that separated our houses. That's when I noticed all the black-clad Squad members, swarming the Hayashi house. As I moved towards the Haninozuka household, though, they seemed to move along.

Don't tell me… Mom must have called nearly a quarter of the Squad for so many people to be here! There's definitely thirty!

I tried to brush it off as Honey and I entered the kitchen.

Mori was doing homework at the kitchen table. Yasuchika and Satoshi were there also, sitting with books opened in front of them.

"Mitsukuni-nii! Rika-nee!" Satoshi said, eyes lighting up. He stood up partly and then spotted the cake. Hearing that name only made me think of Yuuta again.

Yasuchika and Mori nodded at the two of us.

"What's with the cake?" Yasuchika asked, as I set it on the table.

"For you guys!" I replied with a smile. Honey grabbed a knife, plates, and forks. I passed cake slices around. "Come on, have a taste!"

I watched eagerly as they took a bite. Honey stood by my side. "So what does it remind you of?" I asked.

"Mitsukuni," Mori said.

"Yeah?" Honey glanced at his cousin.

Mori stared at the two of us, and then we understood. "Really?" My eyes widened in excitement. "Is that what you think of?"

"Well, Mitsukuni-nii does really love cake and strawberries." Satoshi said.

"How about you Chika-chan?" I turned to the younger Haninozuka.

He shrugged. "It does seem a lot like Mitsukuni."

"Yay! Success!" I bounced on my feet and grinned at Honey. He smiled back brightly in turn. "So, Mori, do you think it's good as Mitsukuni's Host Cake?"

Mori nodded.

"Sweet! I'll send these pictures to Kyoya then." I said, tapping away at my cellphone.

"Eh?" Honey's loud protest froze me. I glanced at him in alarm. Was something wrong? "How come Kyo-chan has your email and I don't?"

"Do you want it?" I asked with a small smile. Oh, Mitsukuni wants my email! Yay!

He nodded.

"Okay, hang on while I send this." I mailed Kyoya the pictures I'd taken and a note that the chocolate animals were not necessary.

Honey pulled his own cellphone out and held it at me. "Come on! Put your email and phone number in, Rika!" I took it with a quiet sigh. He could be awfully impatient, huh?

_Ring! Ringgg!_

I quickly handed Honey's phone back once I was done and fumbled to retrieve mine. "Hello?"

"Rika-sama?" Azumi's voice came through clearly. "Come back, immediately, please. Your mother will be arriving shortly."

"Yes." I said. "And Mitsu-"

"He doesn't need to come." She replied curtly. That basically translated into don't bring Honey.

"Yes. I'll be coming then."

"Very well."

We hung up, and I sighed. I really wasn't going to be sleeping well tonight. "I'll be going then, Mitsukuni. Do you guys want to keep the cake?" I asked, tucking my phone away.

"Of course!" Honey said enthusiastically. He nodded at me in a more serious manner. "Be careful."

I smiled. Honey's compassion and ability to care for people never ceased to amaze me. "Thanks again, Mitsukuni. See you, everyone!" Then I made my way out the door.

* * *

><p>There were even more Squad members now. Many were walking around the house. I sat on the couch, playing with a loose thread on my skirt.<p>

The door opened in a flurry, and I saw Mom rush in. She was in her black, business suit, which meant she must have interrupted a meeting to get here. I stood up as she approached me. Her hands fell on my arms and her eyes darted across me.

"Are you alright, Rika? You're alright?" She asked, sounding out of breath.

I nodded. "I'm perfectly fine, Mom. You... You weren't in an important meeting were you?"

"It's not important compared to you." She replied. Aw, that's actually kinda touching. Now, if she would just cancel the marriage.

"I'm fine." I said again, smiling reassuringly.

Mom let out a breath. "Thank goodness. This is becoming ridiculous." She turned away and began pacing back and forth in front of me. "If this happens again… we might be too late. No, this can't happen again."

Oh dear, Mom's going to do something now.

"This time has already gone too far. The next time they might actually get you." She continued, then she stopped in front of me. The determined spark in her eye made me weary. I just hoped she wouldn't do anything too drastic.

"So…" I said, probing her on patiently.

She went back to her pacing. "I've already informed the school and the city council. The school will tighten its security, and the city council has spoken to the police. The police will do more routine searches and try to be on the lookout."

I tried not to sigh. Mom had a lot of influence in the community. I wouldn't have been surprised if all those broken traffic lights had been orchestrated by her.

"But that won't be enough, Rika. Just having the community on alert won't be enough. You need someone to stay next to you and protect you at all times." Mom stood in front of me. Ooh, was she going to ask Honey? I would definitely not mind it if he stuck around me 24/7.

"That's why, dear, I've called these two in." Mom snapped her fingers. Oh dear. They better not be brute bodyguards with black sunglasses and a suit, and all tall, buff, and scary.

Two men stepped into the living room, grinning. They were not wearing sunglasses or suits, to my relief. They did have matching black polos and tan slacks though. But what was best of all was that I knew who they were.

"Otsu! Hirase!" I beamed at the sight of the two familiar, tall men. I'd trained with them when I had been younger. They'd taken care of me a lot when my parents were busy. They were the more elite Black Garlic Squad members, with greater experience and strength.

"Yo, Rika-chan!" Hirase said, grinning back with a mocking salute. "Long time no see, Princess!" He had dark blond hair that swept over his humorous light brown eyes. He'd often teased me when I was younger and liked to make me angry.

I was about to stick my tongue out in response when I caught Mom's gaze, so I just smiled pleasantly. "Remember not to call me Princess, Hirase."

Otsu chuckled. "You've become a fine lady, Rika-chan." Otsu was the more serious one of the two and had once been a part of the army. His black hair was still in that buzzcut style and his dark brown eyes hadn't lost the kindness in them.

"Thank you, Otsu." I replied, before turning back to Mom. "So these two will be…?"

"Your bodyguards until this kidnapping threat is over." Mom said with a sharp gaze. "They will be sleeping in the room next to yours and will go with you to school."

Damn it. Mom is a genius.

If she had chosen Squad members that I wasn't familiar and friendly with, I would have definitely protested. I would have argued that I didn't trust these bodyguards any more than I trusted the kidnappers. But since I _did_ trust and like Hirase and Otsu, it would be much harder to fight back.

Mom, you are very good at manipulating people, especially me.

I bit my tongue, trying not to sigh. I nodded. "Yes."

Mom's expression softened. "They will keep you safe, Rika. You wouldn't want to be kidnapped, would you?"

"Of course not," I said, shaking my head. It would just be a big pain in the butt, having bodyguards following me wherever I go.

"Then it's settled," Mom smiled. "Azumi, call the Head Maid and have her get these two situated."

Azumi nodded and left the living room quickly.

"I've notified your father, Rika." Mom said.

"And?" I asked, waiting to hear how Dad had reacted.

She sighed. "You should just be glad that _I_ was the one able to get home first. He wanted us to start a brand new school with a few teachers for you to attend. At least I'm letting you continue attending Ouran."

Oh, and now she's playing the Good-Cop-Bad-Cop card.

"Dad always has some strange ideas." I said in a dull response. "Are you going to stay here then?"

"No, I'll be leaving right away. I left at a terrible time." Mom started walking towards the front door, and I hastily followed after her. "You have mid-terms this week, right? Do well on them, Rika, and then you can enjoy your summer vacation."

"Yes, Mom. Then when will you be back?"

The door opened, and she slipped her shoes on. "In another two weeks or so, if nothing else happens. Don't forget to leave July 24th open. We'll be visiting your aunt."

Oh right, Aunt Setsuko.

I nodded. "Yes."

Mom stood in front of me at the porch. She smiled and patted my cheek. "Be careful, dear. I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Mom."

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><p><strong>So it's been decided that I'll update once every five days, so most people didn't seem to have much preferences. I might update more, like maybe twice a week? Like, once on Monday and again on Thursday. I really want to finish this story before school starts again in the fall, so let's go on an updating mania! <strong>

**Sorry if this chapter was too short! Oh and I'll start putting the OC list up on my profile page, like maybe today.**

**Any opinion changes on Rika's mom? She's not _that_ bad, is she? **

**Oh and any cake ideas are gladly welcome! Please review! And thank you all for reading! :)**


	31. An exam week like the Host Club: chaotic

**Everyone, I recently just found out that Usa-chan is a guy. I watched an Ouran episode and Honey spoke of Usa-chan as a guy... Did anyone else know of this? Anyway, for consistency's sake, Usa-chan will remain female in this story.**

**And thanks so much for all the new follows and faves! You guys rock! :D**

**AwakenedSecrets: **Oh good luck on your marathon! That's so cool! Thank you so much for your ever-enthusiastic reviews! :D Hope your marathon goes well and that you enjoy this chapter! More fluff, yay!

**Guest: **Strawberry Neko right? Thank you for reviewing! :) You seem really cute, and have a good summer too! I hope you like this chapter!

**KatHAT: **Wow, happy early birthday! ^-^ I like the tall cake idea. I'll use it and credit you. Thanks!

**Karnevalfreak59: **Lol the head is a trophy! That's kinda scary to have a mom like that. Is your mom scary? As for the PM, go ahead! :D I'll be waiting! And thanks for the review!

**SmolderingBlackRose: **Yup! Thank you for the feedback! It's interesting that some people don't like her and some neutral. I hope you like this chapter! Some more fluff time! :) Thanks!

**hotbibl: **Hi! Lol they're not exactly stalking but yeah. Thanks for the review, and I hope you stick around! :D

**DreamTrance14:** No, not Kyoya's cake yet but I already have some ideas. PM me or something with your idea, and I'm sure we can mesh it together to make the Kyoya smexy cake! ;) Lol, okay, thanks for the review!

**Hime1234: **Hehe well writing takes practice, and there are tons of amazing writers out there. And lots of resources for improving your writing! :D I hope things go well with you! And thank you very much!

**Farrafelpies:** But still...? Yay! Don't ever leave! STAY HERE FOREVER MWAHAHA- Ooh, do you bake cake? :) Thank you for the review! Hope you like this chapter!

**PhoenixOtaku: **Did some editing of this chapter just to answer your question on the bodyguards' ages :D Lol queens are always the evil ones right? Yeah yeah, for Tamaki's cake I was thinking something princely and white and just like how you described it! You know, like a prince on a white horse, kind of cake. Do you agree? If you have any more ideas, PM me or something! :D Thanks for the review, you lovely otaku!

** aaa17: **Hello! :D It's nice to meet you! Thank you for your kind review! Here's the update, and I hope you like it!

**That Kyoya loving guest: **Sorry your name is just guest, but you know that requested RikaXKyoya fluff moment? Well it actually happens sooner than expected, like in this chapter. It's short, but hopefully it satisfies you, for now. Thank you! :)

**And now... the chapter. Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>Otsu and Hirase were sleeping in the room next to mine. Knowing this didn't help me go to sleep. In fact, I doubted anything would.<p>

I sighed, rolling over to my side and wrapping Hiro into a tight hug. Hiro, help me fall asleep. Why can't I sleep?

_Bling!_

A small patch of the room lit up. That would be my cell phone. Since I couldn't sleep anyway, I rolled lazily off of bed and snatched it up from my desk. It was almost midnight.

I crawled back under the warm covers. It was a notification that I had an email. At this time? No, wait, this mail had been sent a few hours ago, at about 9 PM. It was just telling me that I hadn't seen the email yet. What a surprisingly pesky phone.

_"From: Haninozuka Mitsukuni_

_ Subject: Hi Rika!_

_ Hello. Did your talk with your mom go well? Are you sleeping yet? This is my email, and my cellphone number is xxxxxxxxxx. Feel free to call or email me whenever!"_

Aw, sweet Honey. I like him so much. I blushed at the thought, as my stomach decided to practice flips. What am I thinking? I wonder what it'd be like without him though… Actually, I don't even want to imagine that.

Should I call him right now? No, he must be sleeping. What if I emailed him? I can't sleep right now though.

"Hiro-chan, should I call Mitsukuni right now?" I whispered to the bear in the dark. I closed my eyes, relaxing. There was just no way I'd be sleeping well tonight. Besides, it'd be fine if I just slipped over to Honey's house and slipped back before anyone found out, right? And I can always leave a note to tell Azumi where I was. But I guess the main issue is: Would Honey mind?

The endless what-ifs swirled in my mind. Eventually, I got confused and gave up.

I'll just listen to my gut.

And my gut is telling me to call Honey right now. I think my gut is a selfish brat, but I'll listen to it anyway.

_Ringggg! Ringggg!_

I waited. There was no way he'd pick up, and if he did, he'd be in pissed-off-Honey mode. Maybe I shouldn't have called. I'm disturbing his sleep after all.

"Hello?" Honey's groggy voice came through. I stifled a laugh. His voice like that was so cute and much deeper.

"Mitsukuni?" I said. "It's-"

"Why are you calling right now, Rika?" He asked rather loudly. He was definitely annoyed, but it seemed like he was also trying not to be annoyed.

"I can't sleep."

"And? Can you hurry up?"

"And… I don't know what to do."

"Do you want to come over?"

He can read my mind! Oh dang, he can read my mind!

"Can I?" I asked quietly. Please say yes! Please say yes!

"Hurry up and be quiet about it."

"Okay. Thanks, Mitsukuni!"

"Oh yeah, be careful. If you get kidnapped again, then I think that kidnapper might die this time."

"What are you saying, Mitsukuni?" I asked with a small giggle.

"I'm tired!" He whined. "Now hurry up and come over."

"Okay!"

We hung up as I hopped out of bed, suddenly invigorated. I turned on the lamp at my desk and found a post-it note. I scribbled a quick message to Azumi: "If I'm not in bed, then I'm at Mitsukuni's. Can't sleep. I'm fine. If you're worried, just send someone over to Mitsukuni's house. Or call my cellphone. Thanks. - Rika."

That should do. I slapped it onto my pillow, grabbed Hiro, and then opened my window. Screw it all! I hopped out of the window and did my best to shut it from the outside. Then I dashed across the lawn towards Mitsukuni's house.

But, exactly, how would I get to him?

My phone buzzed in my hand. It was Honey. "Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"Lawn," I said. I tried to take a deep breath to not sound like I was panting. "I'm at the side of your house that's next to mine."

"Okay, hang on. I'll come find you." He hung up.

Wasn't he tired?

A moment later, a door slid open. Honey stepped out and waved at me, in his light blue bunny pajamas. How cute. I ran over to him, clutching Hiro to my chest. Oh wait, I'm wearing my pink striped pajamas too. Oh well, it's not like their strange, ugly, or embarrassing.

"You brought Hiro-chan?" He asked, grabbing my right hand and pulling me in.

I nodded, sliding the door shut behind me. "Are you sure it's okay-"

"It's fine. Just be quiet." He pulled me through an empty hall, down another, and to his bedroom. We slipped in and were soon tucked under his warm covers.

"Why can't you sleep?" Honey asked. His voice was warm and sleepy, and I could see his eyelids drooping.

"I haven't been able to sleep very well lately." I replied with a shrug.

"And you can if you're with me?" He smiled in a teasing way.

I grinned back. "Maybe." I snuggled into him. He didn't mind at all, pulling me close.

We were quiet for a while, and we were very, very close.

Oh crap. I don't think I'll be able to sleep like this after all!

My heart drummed away, beating faster than usual. Yup, no way I can sleep with this fast and loud of a heart beat.

"Relax, Rika." Honey murmured. He was already falling asleep. "You're safe here."

"I know." I replied in a whisper. I relaxed, slightly. "It's just that - this was the second time already, Mitsukuni. And they say that the third time's the charm, right? What if… What if the next time, they really do get me?"

Honey inhaled slowly. Maybe he was already asleep. "They won't." He opened his eyes, and those sweet brown eyes were dark but affectionate. He pulled me closer, until I was tucked under his chin. "I won't let them. I won't let that happen."

Somehow, those words were more reassuring than any amount of Squad members. I smiled, finally relaxing. Before long, I could feel myself drifting into pleasant sleep.

* * *

><p>My phone's alarm rang at eight in the morning. I blinked. My mind was still foggy from sleep. Wow. I can't believe it. I finally got some undisturbed rest, even if it was only for like eight hours. Actually, eight hours is really good for me.<p>

Maybe I should just permanently sleep with Honey.

That sounds wrong.

I glanced over to my side. Honey was sleeping soundly, and this time I wasn't in a death grip. He had one arm under my neck, which was probably really numb since my head's not exactly the lightest thing. He was curled around me, like a protective shell, with his other arm hanging loose by him. Thank goodness, it'd be easier to slip out.

_Ding! Ding!_

I snatched my phone up and turned the alarm off. Ugh, I want to keep sleeping, but Azumi will get worried if I'm not there.

I slowly slid out from under the covers and to the wooden floor. I stretched, yawning. Then, taking Hiro and my cellphone, I snuck quietly out of his room.

It took a while for me to find my way back out of his house. Then I had to dash across the lawn to my window, slam it open, and hop in. I was in my cold bed within ten minutes, and a crumbled post-it note was in the trash. I sighed, hugging warm Hiro to me. Surely I could fall back asleep.

* * *

><p>Azumi prepared some chocolate chip waffles, a glass of milk, and a bowl of mango for breakfast. Did she think I was traumatized? Usually she wouldn't get me waffles, and certainly not the chocolate kind. And mango was one of my favorite fruit, second to strawberries. What was even stranger was that Kimiko was sitting across from me with an identical breakfast.<p>

She stared at me critically. I was starting to get tired of everyone's worried stares at this point. "I'm fine, Onee-san, so stop looking like you're waiting for me to faint." I said in an extremely peeved tone. Well, I hadn't planned on sounding like a brat.

She nodded, forcing a smile. "Sorry, it's just that… well, I heard you got…" She shook her head. "You're fine then?"

"They didn't do a thing," I replied. "And why are you eating breakfast with me?"

"Can I not?" She asked with a raised brow. "I'm kidding. It was just cause I wasn't able to see you yesterday after the kidnapping thing."

"You were working right?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"I just wanted to see you and make sure you're fine." Kimiko said with a vague wave of her hand. "And I heard that you have a boyfriend now."

Talk about a big switch between topics. I nodded though.

She leaned forward with a curious smile. "So?" Her brown eyes were bright. "Who is it? Who is it? Come on! Tell me."

"Mitsukuni," I turned away with a blush.

"Aw!" Kimiko squealed. "Honey right? The great martial artist and our neighbor next door? That's cute. You guys must be a cute couple."

I could feel my face heating up even more. "No-Not really."

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you blush like this before," She said.

"You've changed too." I shot back, quickly taking a bite of the waffle. "You're calmer and… better now."

"Better?"

"I-I mean I like you more like this."

Kimiko stared at me in disbelief. "How did I change for you to like me more? What do you mean by that?"

I stared at the plate and shrugged. "We used to be close until you went to highschool, and then after that, you changed. You were all about appearance and makeup, and I didn't like that. But now you're more like that again. Like, you aren't going all over the place about boys and makeup."

A small, sweet smile spread across her face. It was then that I realized that Kimiko was quite pretty. She had a nice, slim face and her eyes were very bright when they caught the light. There was even a glimmer of dark red in them. "That's cause I have Masahiko-kun now. He's so sweet and kind and cute and handsome."

"I want to meet him," I said suddenly.

"Really?" Kimiko asked, sounding excited. "I want you to meet him too! I'll bring him over someday, okay?"

I nodded, smiling. "Okay."

* * *

><p>I spent the day quietly studying. Azumi hovered around me for a few hours, and even suggested that I go see the doctor or therapist. She eventually left after I got fed up and glared at her. Otsu and Hirase sat in my room, on the couch, chatting for a while. Then they pulled out their laptops and began doing something.<p>

Mom called sometime in the afternoon and fussed over me some more. It was _really_ starting to get annoying. Even the servants in the house stared at me with extreme concern, as if I was a fragile glass flower ready to shatter at any moment.

So by the time I went to school on Monday, I was ready to punch anyone who gave me that look.

When I saw Honey in the morning, I stared at him pointedly. "If you so as even ask if I'm alright," I left my threat open-ended.

He grinned. "Okay! I'm sure you're fine, Rika. You're a tough person, right?"

I pursed my lips. Was he being sarcastic? His eyes were genuine, though, so I brushed it off.

"Rika-chan," Hirase said walking over to my side. "This school… is huge!"

"You're surprised?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Hirase shrugged, towering over me. He was even taller than Otsu. Honey stared at the two and then at me.

"This is Hirase," I said, gesturing at said man. "And Otsu. The two Squad members Mom stuck on me as bodyguards."

"Ohh."

"Nice to meet you!" The two said with a short bow.

"I'm Haninozuka Mitsukuni." Honey bowed back. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, Rika-chan, is this-" Hirase pointed at Honey, glancing around.

I nodded with a quiet sigh. "Yes."

"Is what?" Honey asked curiously.

Hirase grinned and then mouthed the word "boyfriend." I glanced wildly around, but luckily there were only a few people. I doubted they'd noticed anyhow.

"The school will let you have bodyguards here?" Honey turned back to me.

"My mom probably spoke to the chairman." We started walking towards class. "Where's Mori?"

"He had some early training session for kendo."

"Even though we're taking our mid-terms today?"

As we talked, people glanced curiously at Otsu and Hirase who tailed a few feet away from me. I sighed. Couldn't they just trust that I'd be safe at school?

During class, Otsu and Hirase sat in the back as we began the testing.

* * *

><p>"You poor child!" Tamaki cried, sweeping me off my feet with a classic bone-crushing hug. "Getting kidnapped, <em>twice<em> too!"

"Let me go!" I yelled, squirming in his grip.

"Let her go, Senpai." Haruhi said, tugging on the back of his shirt. Tamaki dropped me down on my feet after a moment. I stumbled to regain my balance and dusted off my dress.

Otsu and Hirase hovered nearby, looking concerned. I waved them away. "This is the Host Club." I went through some quick introductions.

"What are these men here for?!" Tamaki asked, pointing at them with a suspicious gaze.

"They're being bodyguards." I replied. "It's fine. Just ignore them."

Hirase's mouth dropped open. "Rika-chan! How could you?! I thought we were friends!" I raised a questioning eyebrow at his dramatic act.

"What are you talking about? And be quiet, we're in the library."

"You don't just tell your friends to ignore your other friends." Hirase said.

"And generally friends aren't people hired by your mom to protect you from kidnappers." I shot back, crossing my arms. I returned my attention to the Host Club, who were crowding around the library table Naoko and I were sitting at.

"Wait, Rika-chan!" Tamaki tugged on my sleeve. "Even if they're your bodyguards, how can you trust them? It's okay, we'll be-"

"Oh, Tama-chan, just cram it!" I shoved him towards Haruhi. "I've known these guys since I was young. They're like twenty or thirty years older than me."

"Hey, I am not that old!" Hirase said in protest. "He might be." He pointed at Otsu.

Otsu raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I'm still in my thirties."

Tamaki's eyes widened. "They-"

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked loudly, cutting Tamaki off. It was lunch, and I'd been reviewing some of my history notes with Naoko. "Shouldn't you be eating lunch?"

The twins grinned at me. "We heard about what happened."

"That's great." I snapped back, turning to Kyoya. "Why are you guys here?"

"We can't say hello to a friend?" Kyoya asked with a small smile.

"We're just glad you're alright." Haruhi said.

"Thanks Haruhi." I smiled back.

"Was it scary?" Hikaru asked in genuine seriousness.

I shrugged. "Kinda, more annoying though. Can't really compare with you and Kaoru and spiders."

The twins shared a grin. "Those kidnappers need to do some research!"

"How did your first few mid-terms go?" I asked Haruhi. "Don't you have to be number one in your grade to keep your scholarship here?"

"Yeah," Haruhi nodded. "It wasn't that bad actually."

"As expected of Haruhi!" Tamaki crushed her in a hug.

"Oh yes, Rika." Kyoya said, pulling out his black notebook. "We've decided on a one-day Host Club trip to a resort. You're welcome to come along."

"What kind of resort is this?"

"My family and yours are both sponsoring the company that's building the resort. It's a water park, Rika."

"It'll be fun, Ri-chan!" Honey grinned. "You should come!"

"There will be lots of water slides." Hikaru said.

"And I heard there will be water guns." Kaoru said.

The two twins leaned over me. "Wouldn't that be fun?" Evil, sinister grins appeared on their faces, and I felt like I was in the presence of two demons plotting the apocalypse.

"You demon twins!" Tamaki shrieked, shoving the two apart. "The point of this trip is to make sure our honored guests have fun!"

"It's not going to be like the one you guys went to last time right?" I asked wearily.

"The one where Honey-senpai got washed away?" Haruhi said, shaking her head. "I sure hope not."

Kyoya held up a hand. "No, no. This resort is already nearing completion. My family has been invited to visit it and evaluate it. If we want something to be changed, then we can request it. I'm being sent by my family to go, and the owners agreed to allow the Host Club to come for a day. If you need a reason to get your mother to let you go, just tell her that you'll check out the place in the position of your family. No one has been sent over by the Hayashi yet to evaluate the place."

"An excellent reason," I smirked. "I'll talk to Mom about it then. Wait, are you going to take the entire Host Club? Like, _all_ the guests?"

"We're only taking twenty lucky guests." Kyoya's glasses glinted ominously.

"Lucky in what way?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course, coming from a good family increases their chances."

Oh, great.

* * *

><p>For some strange reason, rumors that I'd been kidnapped twice began swirling through the school halls. People stared at me, murmuring.<p>

"Is that her?"

"The girl with the big red bow, right?"

"She got kidnapped twice already?"

"Better stay away from her."

"No wonder she has those two hulks following her."

"Bodyguards?"

"Who is she?"

I frowned as I walked out of the school at the end of the day. Couldn't they shut up? Since we were taking our mid-terms, all club activities were stopped. I rode the limo back with Honey and Mori.

"Hey Mitsukuni," I leaned towards Honey, whispering into his ear. "The gang's coming to visit me during the summer, like early-summer. I was thinking we could meet up at the school."

Honey glanced at me. "What? Will it be okay?"

"If it's the school, it's fine right?" I asked worriedly. "And I want the Host Club to be there too. The gang will want to meet them."

"It should be okay. I want to meet them too."

I nodded.

* * *

><p>I called Mom at the end of the day and managed to persuade her about going to the resort. She thought it was a good idea and told me she'd email me a form to fill out. I would have to analyze the resort very well.<p>

Mid-terms went by quickly. After the night with Honey, though, my sleeping still hadn't improved. In fact, I was starting to have strange nightmares involving the guy and the gun, and every time, blood was everywhere.

Friday was our last day before summer break. Chiyo was excited and kept bouncing in her seat during the test. I sighed. We'd have to go visit Aunt soon, and those visits were never fun. They were absolutely morbid and depressing.

The Host Club decided they would be having club activites on Friday. Thankfully, Chess Club wasn't, so I wandered over to the Club that day.

"Rika-senpai!" The twins yelled, glomping me with a hug. They were wearing something that was very soft. It wasn't the school uniform. Instead, they were wearing orange sweatpants and hoodies, with sharp cat-like ears on the top of the hoodie. They even had three black stripes on each cheek as whiskers.

"Hello." I said, feeling exhausted to the core. I'd only gotten five hours of sleep last night and felt ready to collapse. "I came here to take a nap. And nice costume you guys got there."

"Okay." The twins had unsettling grins. Then they picked me up and dashed into the backroom.

"Wha- Hey, what's going on?!" I was tossed into the changing room along with a package.

"Change!" They ordered.

"What if I don't want to?" I grumbled, pulling the outfit out of the bag. "What is this?" It was a pair of pink sweatpants and a pink hoodie, similar to the ones they were wearing.

"Haruhi's going to wear one too!" The twins chorused outside. "We all are!"

"I don't want to." I whined, sitting down stubbornly.

"If you don't," Hikaru's deeper voice drifted in ominously. "We'll get Kyoya-senpai."

"That's not threatening in the slightest." I said.

"He can be very scary." Kaoru said, mimicking his brother's creepy tone. "With that black notebook of his."

"And that laptop."

"And those glasses."

"An-"

The door slammed open. "What is going on?" Kyoya demanded. I giggled. He really was the Demon King. How else could he have known the twins were talking about him?

"Rika-senpai won't change." Hikaru said, sounding like a tattletaling kid.

"Why should I?" I yelled, chucking the package out through the curtain. "I came here to relax, you know, as a guest. Not as a… toy!"

"But you are our toy," The twins said, poking their heads in with identical creeper grins.

"That's creepy." I said, throwing a shoe at each twins' face.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"Serves you demons right," I crossed my arms.

Kyoya sighed, pushing his glasses up. "Please change and go along with this, Rika. It'll make everything much easier."

"Are you going to wear something similar?"

"Yes, it's animal-themed day to celebrate the start of summer break." Kyoya replied.

I frowned. "I'm not even a part of the Host Club anymore!"

"Just… consider yourself as a part-timer," He smiled and then walked away. Psh, he really knows how to act cool huh? I think I know what his cake will be like.

"Come on!" The twins yelled impatiently, waving the package in my face.

"Fine!" I snatched the package out of their hands and jerked the curtain shut. "But no makeup and no hair!"

"Awww," came the disappointed reply.

I changed quickly, pulling the hoodie on. It was pink throughout, except for the darker red pocket in the middle and the sleeves.

"Geez, this is ridiculous." I mumbled, aware of the heat in my cheeks as I pulled the curtain aside.

"Put the hoodie up!" Kaoru said excitedly. He pulled it on, before grinning.

"Great!" Hikaru beamed. "Let me just take a few pictures." He pulled out a camera.

"No way!" I grabbed the camera.

"Noo!" Hikaru yelled dramatically. "We need pictures to show our mom!"

"Yeah, don't you know we designed these clothes ourselves?" Kaoru joined in. The two stared at me with puppy eyes.

"We want to show our mom." Hikaru said, almost sounding like he was whimpering.

"She'll be proud, you know." Kaoru's eyes softened.

"She doesn't get to see our designs often."

"That's why we need to take pictures."

"We need a model in the clothes to really bring out its form and appearance."

"Okay! Okay!" I shoved the camera back into Hikaru's hands. "You guys win! But don't expect me to smile, okay?'

"Yay!" The two jumped in joy.

"Just stay still." Hikaru said. "It doesn't matter what face you're making."

I frowned, letting my hands dangle at my side as Hikaru snapped a few pictures. "Great!" He grinned at me, smacking my arm lightly. "Thanks a lot, Rika-senpai! Now let's go!"

These little manipulative and yet lovable idiots…

I smiled. Then remembered what was on the hoodie. "I don't want to go outside." I sat down on the ground once again.

"What?" Kaoru asked, mouth wide.

"But the point was for you to show-"

I glared at Hikaru. "Show what? This is-"

"Guys, I think the hoodie is too big." The door opened and Haruhi stepped in, wearing a similar outfit, only in light gray. The sleeves and pocket were a darker gray, however. And, on the top of the hoodie were two adorable mouse ears.

"Haruhi!" The Hitachiin twins bounded over to her.

"It's supposed to be big." Hikaru said, stroking the ears on the top of her head.

"Are you sure? I feel like it's about to slip off and completely cover my face." Haruhi readjusted the hoodie, completely oblivious to the two boys' feelings for her.

"You look adorable!" Kaoru grinned.

Haruhi stared at me, sitting on the floor. "Rika-senpai? Are you okay?" Then a small smile broke out on her face. "You look really cute like that. Of course you'd be a-"

"No no no!" I yelled, jumping to my feet. "I don't want to wear this." I crossed my arms. "A-Anyway, Haruhi, a mouse really suits you."

"Does it?" She smiled warmly. "Thanks."

"Now just say squeak!" The twins yelled excitedly.

"Squeak?" Haruhi said curiously. Her innocent expression caused Hikaru and Kaoru to turn away, blushing. I giggled at the sight.

"Hey, Hikaru, Kaoru," the door opened once more to reveal Kyoya. "You might want to help out Tamaki. We'll be opening the doors in fifteen minutes."

I burst out laughing when I saw Kyoya, as the twins filed out of the backroom with Haruhi following. He was wearing a black hoodie with white pockets and sleeves. The best thing though were the two pointy dog ears on the top.

Kyoya glanced at me, obviously unamused.

I giggled some more. "It's so- haha - you look so-"

He waited, eyebrows raised. "So what?"

"Strangely cute," I said, covering my mouth with my hand to hide the smirk. He had the hood up and there was something attractive about the sight. It looked like he was a black and white Shiba Inu.

Kyoya sighed as he crossed his arms. "Are you in any position to laugh, Rika?"

"What? I was forced into this." I shot back. "By you, too."

"Hika-" Kyoya said, turning to the twin that had already left. "Hm. Now why would they put you in this outfit and..." He stared distractedly at the wall.

"What?" I asked.

"Ri-chan! Look, look!" Honey came jumping into the room, before screeching to a halt in front of me. "Eh?!"

He was wearing a brown version of the outfit and at the top were bear ears. My eyebrows rose at the sight.

"Mitsukuni, you're a bear?" I said.

"Takashi is too!" Honey skipped over to me and then reached up to pet the ears on my hoodie. I turned away from him, blushing. "Don't do that!" I finally yelled, slapping his hands away. My own fingers brushed against the soft, white material. "Argh! Why am _I_ the bunny?!"

Honey laughed quietly. "It fits you, Rika. You're a cute bunny."

Damn it. Damn the twins too. And damn Kyoya for making me put this on in the first place!

I cleared my throat. "Thanks, Mitsukuni. And I talked to my mom, Kyoya, and she said it's fine. I just have to fill out a bunch of forms when I'm there and take pictures and some other boring stuff."

When I glanced at Kyoya, he seemed to unfreeze and a small smile came. He nodded. "Alright then. That's good to hear. Today, we'll also be announcing which guests get to go with us to the resort."

"Okay," I said. "I'll stay in the backroom then."

"Are you sure?" Kyoya asked.

"I'm not a guest if I'm dressed up like this," I gestured at the costume. Plus, Aya-chan would be out there, and I didn't want to see her. I didn't want more rumors to pop up about me. "But what's Tamaki wearing?"

"He's also a dog, only it's yellow." Kyoya replied. "We're all paired up except for Haruhi."

Dogs, cats, and a mouse. Is this a game of chase? And, as usual, poor Haruhi is the one being chased after…

Once the two were gone, I settled down on the couch, resting my head on a pillow. Really, why had the twins let me be the bunny, when Honey would have made a much better bunny? Though he's absolutely adorable with those bear ears, but still…

I closed my eyes and relaxed. Surely I could catch some sleep here. I was safe here. I was with people I loved.

As the beautiful melody of teacups, light chatter, and fangirl squeals reached me, I felt myself slowly slipping into the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>Lots of sleeping going on. Yup, and now the mid-term exams week is over (for them)! The next chapter, the Host Club and Rika go to the resort, where lots of things shall happen! :D Please look forward to it! The next chappie should be up Wednesday or Thursday.<strong>

**Oh and the OC list is up on my profile page! It's surprisingly long -_- If you see anyone missing or whatever, just PM me. In fact, you can PM me for anything, so long as it's not stupid. Yup, yup, thanks!**

**Please review! And thank you for reading!**


	32. To the water park we go!

**Hey everyone! I'm keeping up with the double updating, right? Thank you for all the follows, faves, and sweet, kind words!**

**Karnevalfreak59: **Lol that scene, Tamaki what are you doing? Thanks for the review! And still no PM?

**cloudsinwonderland:** Why a croissant exactly? It's fine so long as you're still here! :D And that clumsy!Kyoya is an absolutely brilliant idea! So I went back and added it in. Thank you!

**DreamRealm3: **Hi! Hehe, good guessing skills. Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter too! :)

**SmolderingBlackRose:** Yup, trouble is coming and the gang! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like the fluff in this chapter! :D

**KatHAT:** If only he could hug her like a human Usa-chan, lol. Thank you! ^-^ And what is the Mori cake structure? I was thinking two layers? What do you think?

**Farrafelpies:** Food poisoning! Oh dear, better be careful. That's cool though! Baking yummy foods isn't easy. Thanks for the review! :) I hope you like this chapter!

**AwakenedSecrets:** Lol please wait like four more chapters? So like two weeks? Don't worry the following chapters should hopefully be satisfactory. Thank you for the review! :D

**candymoon2315:** Yay! I'm so happy you caught up! Thanks for reviewing on some of the other chapters too! ^-^ They'll be here in a few more chapters! I hope you like this chapter!

**Strawberry Neko:** Yo! I was thinking of dark chocolate too, but not because he's dark and handsome lol. The strawberry/Honey-link is a good idea! I'll add that in. Thank you! :D

**Ellerocks92:** Hello! What a cute review! Sensible, lol... no animal costume really is... Keep it up with school! You can do it! :) If only the kidnappers could hear your advice, huh? Thank you for the review!

**DaPandaGirl: **Hey! Awww thanks so much! ^-^ And thanks for following this story! Do you like pandas? Aren't pandas so adorable?

**kyoya3guest:** Yeah, Honey's a deep character right? Well they all kinda are. And I've seen the fanfic you suggested before and read a bit of it! It's written really well but I don't really ship HaruhiXKyoya. They just don't mesh well? I dunno. Thank you! :D And what's your favorite ship with Haruhi?

**Independent Not in Love:** It'll all come in time. Thank you for the review! Lol creepy fangirl stalker. I hope you like this chapter!

**So this chapter is completely in 3rd person. A different way of looking at things. And the clumsy Kyoya idea came from **_cloudsinwonderland _:) Hehe.** So hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>"At least he killed himself instead of getting captured. If he'd lived, then Sayoko would likely have been able to trace the kidnapping back to me. Oh my! I would love to see Sayoko's reaction when she finds out it's me!"<p>

"Uh, Father."

"Well?"

"She likes Haninozuka."

"It's him, isn't it? He's always the one getting in the way. This time and the last. The only reason why she still isn't in my hands is because of him!"

"Uh, Father are you sure you-"

"Shut up! I'll do what I want. Go back and study for your tests. I know what I have to do now."

"What is it?"

"I'll take Haninozuka away from her."

* * *

><p>The guests were filing out of the room when Honey stepped into the backroom. The rest of the members were still in the main room cleaning a few things up.<p>

Rika was lying on the couch, sleeping quietly. He smiled. She made a cute bunny, as cute as Usa-chan. No, she was even cuter than Usa-chan.

Honey took Usa-chan and tucked the bunny into Rika's loose arms. Somehow, the two seemed to match. He stifled a giggle. She stirred, arms tightening around the plushie.

He went into their makeshift dressing room to change back into the school uniform. As he pulled his pants off, he heard a rustle outside, then a yawn. Rika had woken up.

The door opened and Honey heard Kyoya's voice saying, "The Host Club is over, Rika."

"Good. Does that mean I can change out of this now?" Rika asked with another yawn.

"Go ahead." Kyoya replied, leaving the room once again.

Rika stared at Usa-chan in her arms. How had she gotten to be here? Rika brushed it off, setting Usa-chan down and standing up. Stretching, Rika stepped towards the changing room. What had even been the point of having her put this on? She sighed, pulling the curtain aside.

"Gah!" Rika shrieked when the sight of a shirtless Honey greeted her. She stumbled back and quickly slammed the curtain back. "Mitsukuni! What are you do- Why didn't you say anything?!"

A quiet chuckle came from behind the curtain as Rika sat down clutching her head. "I didn't want to wake you up. Sorry about that."

At least he had his pants on, Rika thought. If he didn't… No! I really don't want to see that! I'm too young to see _that_! She shook her head vigorously.

She heard the curtain's screech as it was pulled aside. Honey, fully clothed, smiled down at her. "You should keep the hoodie, Rika! Hika-chan and Kao-chan are letting us keep the clothes!"

He held up his brown hoodie in display.

"Uh, it'd be nice to have a hoodie but…" She stared up at the white ears. "It's… not something you'd exactly wear outside."

"It's cute!" Honey grinned.

"I'll just change." She said, pushing him gently away. "Stay away and don't you dare come in."

He laughed. "Okay."

She did end up keeping the clothes though, stowing it away in her closet, under many layers of clothing she'd never touched.

A quiet Saturday was spent on baking and working on Kyoya's cake. She talked to her mom some more on the phone and managed to persuade her to leave Otsu and Hirase at home during the resort trip. Then, on Sunday, at ten in the morning, a rowdy limo drove up.

"Yo Rika-senpai!" The twins yelled, waving from within the limo. She sighed, feeling doubtful of her decision, but she still ran towards the limo with her bag.

"I don't have a swimsuit," was the first thing she told the Host Club. The limo drove several more feet, stopping in front of the Haninozuka residence. Honey and Mori hopped in, sitting down next to Rika.

"That's okay." Hikaru said with a satisfied smile.

"We've already prepared several swimsuits." Kaoru said.

"When we get there, you can pick one." Hikaru finished.

And that was when Rika wished she had gone and bought herself a swimsuit. She had no doubt that it'd be full of bikinis.

"Now, we'll go pick Haruhi up!" Tamaki yelled, standing up slightly from his seat.

"Sit down, Tamaki." Kyoya said grumpily. He tugged on Tamaki's blue t-shirt. Tamaki sat down.

They were all wearing t-shirts and shorts. Rika had a fairly short, white dress with a sunflower design on. She was actually feeling excited. She hadn't been to a water park in years.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki leapt out of the limo, and the twins followed eagerly. The three ran to the door of Haruhi's apartment, pounding on the door while screeching her name noisily.

The door opened and an annoyed Haruhi, wearing a cute, light pink dress, came into view. She glared at the three. "Be quiet! You guys are disturbing the neighbors."

"Wait Haruhi!" Tamaki yelled. "You can't possible wear that! The guests will find out-"

"I know!" Haruhi said, irritated. "I'm going to change, so just wait here!" She slammed the door. The idiot trio stood motionless and silent in front of the door until it opened again. A moment later, the limo began its way to the resort.

"So where is it?" Rika asked Kyoya.

"Western edge of Tokyo," Kyoya replied after a brief pause. His eyes were closed and he'd evidently hadn't gotten much sleep last night.

"Kyoya, why didn't you go to sleep early last night?" Rika said.

"I had lots of paperwork to deal with." Kyoya sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Why do you ask me this everytime?"

"Cause you always look like you're ready to die," She said bluntly.

Kyoya stared at her. "Perhaps I'll take your advice then and try to go to sleep earlier."

"It's great advice!" Tamaki piped in.

"So who are the guests that are coming?" Rika asked.

"You'll see," Kyoya smirked.

That only made her even more uneasy.

They entered the large building together. The walls facing the street and parts of the high ceiling were made of blue-tinted glass. There were some orange fish decorating the wall, as if the whole room was a part of the ocean.

"This is the reception area," Kyoya explained, as the Club glanced around. The blue tiled floors made the room seem cooler than it was. There were also several couches around glass coffee tables. In the very center, right in front of the main doors, was an empty desk. "There's a hotel area here too." He pointed to the left, where several elevators and a wide hallway were visible. "It's not very large, but people who stay at the hotel have free access to the waterpark. And over here leads to the waterpark," Kyoya led them to the right of the desk, past the couches to two large wooden doors.

"When are the guests arriving?" Haruhi asked, now wearing tan cargo pants and a black t-shirt.

"This way, Rika-senpai!" The twins yelled, pushing said girl towards the bathroom. "We had the swimsuits brought here in advance."

"Oi, should you guys be going into the girls bathroom?" Rika asked. Inside were rows after rows of swimsuits on display. "How big is this bathroom?!"

The twins left and joined the other Hosts outside. As Rika perused the many bikinis and strange designs, she heard the familiar "Welcome!" that told her the guests had arrived.

She didn't want a bikini, because it'd likely reveal the scar from the knife incident. She finally found a likable one piece and grabbed it, running into a stall to change. When she came out, the Host Club had already entered the waterpark. The doors were opened and the faint smell of chlorine drifted over.

"Done?"

Rika jumped, finally noticing Kyoya leaning against the wall. "Geez, Kyoya, you scared me."

He smiled. "Come on. Everyone's already there."

She nodded, following behind him. She was wearing the rich blue swimsuit with a short white skirt at the bottom. Kyoya glanced at her slim, and rather flat, form.

"What are you looking at?" Rika asked, frowning and crossing her arms over her chest. This was the first time since several years that she'd been in a swimsuit in front of so many boys. And the times before that, she hadn't had a figure at all, and they'd all been little kids. So she couldn't help feeling a bit conscious of her body.

Kyoya looked away, shaking his head slightly. "Nothing. You really have changed, Rika."

"What does that mean?!" Rika demanded as her cheeks flared a bright red.

Kyoya smiled as they stepped past the doors. They were in a black and white tiled section. To their right were rows of lockers, while to their left was a large, round area filled with tables and chairs. Lining the walls were booths, where stores could be at.

"The owners have a plan of making this a cafeteria." Kyoya explained. "They can have several food vendors here and earn extra money." He continued past to the opened area, into the waterpark.

"Wow!" Rika said, gaping at the sight.

The ceiling was at least three or four stories high and made entirely of glass. The warm sun shone through, heating the entire dome-shaped waterpark up. It was designed like a greenhouse, and so was quite warm just through natural heating.

The ground was smooth white concrete. Palm trees growing in clusters could be seen scattered throughout the park. Right in front of them was a huge pool, with the shallow end at the right. There were beach chairs spread out in a row, and a part of the wall was a shelf full of towels.

"It's huge!" Rika yelled.

The twenty some girls turned to her, and Rika immediately spotted someone she didn't want to see: Aya-chan.

Rika smiled embarrassedly. "Don't mind me, I'm just-"

"Rika-senpai!" A familiar and ever energetic blonde glomped Rika. "Yay! You did come!"

"Chiyo-san," Rika said.

Chiyo grinned, stepping away. "So? What do you think, Rika-senpai? Do you like my swimsuit?" She twirled around slowly. She was wearing an orange classic bikini, and Rika couldn't help thinking about how pretty Chiyo was.

"It's good." Rika smiled. "You look good in anything though so-"

"Kyaa! Rika-senpai, don't flirt with me!" Chiyo yelled, blushing faintly, while shoving Rika playfully.

"I-I wasn't fl-flirting!" Rika said, while her own face turned red. "I-I di-didn't mean it, okay?" Chiyo giggled.

Rika shook her head. She plucked her red bow out of her hair and stuffed it hastily into her bag. She looked around. There were several groups. Five girls were surrounding Tamaki, who was just showering them with cheesy, gooey words as usual. They all had coconut drinks in their hands. Four others were with Haruhi. Some were in the water, while Haruhi sat the edge, playing with the water with her feet.

Hikaru and Kaoru were splashing each other and the three guests that were in the water with them. Two had joined Kyoya and the three were now chatting happily. Then there were the four with Honey and Mori. Two were watching Mori with admiration, who was too absorbed in looking after Honey. Honey had a pink tube around him and was floating in the water with that carefree grin of his. Aya-chan and another girl were squealing over him.

Hm? Rika tilted her head and began counting the number of girls. Counting Chiyo, there was only nineteen girls.

"You're our guest too," Kyoya said when he noticed her confused expression.

"Oh." Rika nodded. That made sense.

"Come on, Rika-senpai!" Chiyo said, grabbing the girl's hands. "Let's go to the water slides!"

"Okay!" Rika followed Chiyo away from the main pool to where three water slides were at. They grabbed some of the tubes and ran up the stairs.

"You go first." Rika said.

The two rode the slides several time. Eventually, they ditched the tubes and rode solo, squealing and laughing down the slides.

"Gah! Water in my nose!" Rika said, coughing. She waded over to Chiyo's side at the edge of the pool. "Hey, there's a wave pool here right?"

Chiyo nodded, then pointed at a board a few feet away. "There's a map over there." They pulled themselves out of the water to study it.

Other than the main pool there were nine large water slides and two small play structures. There were several spots throughout the enormous park where equipment, such as water guns, water floats and tubes, and toys, were available to visitors. There was one wave pool and a spa and jacuzzi region.

"Maybe I should do what I came here for," Rika said. They wandered back to the main pool, where the rest of the Club was still at.

Rika came to stand next to Kyoya, who had a clipboard out and was taking notes. "What are you doing?" She asked, standing on her tiptoes to see.

"First off, they forgot to put something at the edge of the pool." Kyoya said, gesturing at the pool edge. It was direct concrete. "If a child were to slip, an injury is very likely. It's very dangerous."

Rika nodded. He had a good point. She grabbed a towel and tried to dry herself off as best as possible, before pulling the packet of forms out and a pen.

"Mom wants me to fill this out." Rika said. She began filling out the form, writing down descriptions of the scene. "I have to take pictures too."

"I'll give you a tour after this then." Kyoya replied.

They were silent for a while. Chiyo hovered around, watching the two. Rika stared at Honey for a while. He was playing with Aya-chan and…

The other girl laughed. "What are you doing, Honey?"

That voice… It couldn't be…

Honey splashed the two again, grinning with magical flowers floating around his head. Aya-chan laughed too, shoving water at Honey's face. He disappeared for a moment before resurfacing, giggling. Mori watched with a small smile.

"Cake is being delivered later!" Honey said abruptly. "Do you two want some?"

"Of course!" That girl shrieked.

Yup. Rika sighed quietly. It was definitely Girl 1. She was a skinny girl, with thin light-brown hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were rather big and a brilliant amber color. Dang, Rika thought with a small frown, she's pretty pretty.

"Kyoya, exactly how did you pick these girls?" Rika asked.

"Well, that girl over there is Ichigawa Eri. Her parents own a chain of private banks. That over there is Koruba Masako. Her parents have lots of stock in international companies and owns an excellent flour company." Kyoya explained, pointing at each girl.

"Then those four over there?" Rika pointed at the four girls surrounding Honey and Mori. She wished she could have been more discreet, but frankly she didn't care about the others. She only wanted to learn about Girl 1 and Girl 3. Who were they? Why had they been chosen out of the numerous guests?

Kyoya was silent for a moment, watching Honey and the two girls talking and playing. He knew full well why Rika was asking, although it didn't make him feel very pleased.

"That's Sugiwara Chie. Her parents own one of the most popular toy manufacturing companies." He pointed at a girl standing next to Mori. Rika bit her lip, trying to reign in her impatience. "That's Modegi Yasuko, and her parents own one of the most wealthiest musical instrument manufacturing company. And that is Ashika Suzume, whose parents own a chain of supermarket stores and have large influence in the agricultural community."

So Ashika Suzume was Girl 1. Then Girl 3, Aya-chan was…

"Hayakawa Ayako. Her parents have a very famous electronics company and have lots of stock in many businesses throughout."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I've heard of that company before." Rika said. "Hayakawa… That's a famous name."

Kyoya nodded.

Rika frowned, as that twinge of annoyance resurfaced. She wanted to grab Ayako and toss her out of the resort, and maybe that Ashika girl too. Wasn't she a guest too? Couldn't she request a Host? Couldn't she go and play with Honey?

Rika decided she'd finish up everything and then go exploring. She snapped a few photos, filled out the majority of the forms, and then crammed them all back.

"Chiyo! Let's go check out the wave pool!" Rika called out to the girl sitting at the edge, staring at the water in a daze. She sprang up to her feet and ran over to her senpai.

"Yeah!" Chiyo yelled in excitement.

"Oh wait, Kyoya," Rika turned back to the black-haired boy. "Aren't there water guns here?"

He nodded and then pointed to a cabinet next to the towel shelf. "Over there. Go ahead and take one, but be careful not to drop them."

Rika grinned at Chiyo. "Water gun fight?" She whispered.

Chiyo's eyes widened, sparkling, as she nodded. The two dashed over to the cabinet and opened it. The shelves were lined neatly with water guns, and some of them were different models. Rika snatched one up and ran to the waterside to fill it up.

"Wow, Rika-senpai, look at this one!" Chiyo waved a tiny pistol around. She giggled. "It's so tiny and cute!"

Rika grinned, as she pointed the gun at Chiyo.

"You wouldn't dare, Rika-senpai!" Chiyo cried out, waving her empty pistol around. Rika pulled the trigger, blasting Chiyo with water in the stomach. "That's it! I'm coming to get you!" Chiyo grabbed a larger water gun and ran to the pool.

Rika smiled, waiting for Chiyo to strike. She watched as Honey pushed Aya-chan in his tube towards the shallower ends.

That girl… Rika thought darkly. In Mitsukuni's water tube? How dare she! And she's letting Honey push her around?! When she's probably two times his weight and height?

Her finger pulled on the trigger.

_Splat!_

"Ahh!" A strange cry came from Ayako. She turned to the source and spotted Rika standing by the pool with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Hayakawa-san." Rika said, maintaining her smile. "I didn't mean to hit you. I was really aiming for Mitsukuni." To explain, she adjusted her aim slightly and sprayed Honey with water.

Ayako returned the smile with a brighter beam. "Oh, it's perfectly alright, Hayashi-san. I understand. I'm sure it was just an accident."

Rika amplified the brightness of her smile. "Thank goodness you do, Hayakawa-san. You're such a kind and understanding person."

Rika swore that if they were in a manga, there'd be electricity sparking between the two and a black background. And all the other characters would be well aware of the tension between the two of them.

_Splat!_

A gush of water hit Rika's face, breaking the invisible battle. Chiyo grinned. "I got you, Rika-senpai!"

"Oh yeah?" Rika asked. She moved to the side, standing directly behind the Hitachiin twins. Then she aimed well and pulled the trigger.

"Ow!" Tamaki cried out when water smacked the back of his head. He whirled around to find the source of it and found himself staring at the twins. "It was you two, wasn't it?!"

"Catch Hikaru and Kaoru!" Chiyo yelled, tossing two identical, loaded water guns at them. They caught it and stared at the guns in their hands for a brief moment. Then they turned to each other and grinned evilly.

"That's right, Tono." Hikaru said, slapping the gun in his open palm several times.

"That was our doing." Kaoru said, nodding. Then they let loose a sea of water on the Host Club Prince.

Tamaki ran away, yelling and thrashing his arms about. He snatched the closest water gun from the cabinet and quickly filled it up.

"That's it, you demon twins! I'll finish you two off once and for all!" Tamaki screamed, chasing the two down.

The girls that were watching seemed shocked at first, before many burst out into giggles. Rika shared a grin with Chiyo, before filling up a small pistol water gun and positioning herself behind Tamaki.

Then she aimed her water gun at the only person left that hadn't touched the water. She pulled the trigger, silently hoping that this would not be her last hour.

_Splurt!_

A small burst of water hit the center of Kyoya's light blue and white shirt. He stared at the darkened spot for a moment before looking up. His glasses flashed in a silent threat. "Who was that?"

The entire scene fell silent, and everyone waited for the culprit to identify his or herself.

"He did it." The twins and Rika said, pointing at Tamaki.

"What?!" Tamaki shrieked. "It wasn't me, Kyoya!"

"Catch!" Rika yelled, tossing the small pistol as Kyoya with a grin. He caught it easily with one hand. Then he set his clipboard down on a beach chair and took a few steps towards the crowd.

"Tamaki," Kyoya said darkly as his glasses glinted.

"Gahhh!" Tamaki ran away, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Kyoya sped after him. Then, just as abruptly, Kyoya's foot slipped and he was suddenly on the ground.

The scene fell silent once again.

"Uh, Kyoya," Rika said hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

He glared at her and shot up to his feet. "Of course I am. Nothing happened."

Everyone nodded. They hadn't seen anything at all. Kyoya adjusted his glasses and took several cautious steps. The ground wasn't even slippery with water.

"Now then, Tamaki," Kyoya said.

"Aieee!" Tamaki dashed away with Kyoya right behind. As the two were busy, Rika took this opportunity to shoot the twins in the back.

"You wanna fight, Rika-senpai?" The twins asked, turning around to her with a dark grin.

"Yes!" Rika yelled, jumping up in the air. She grabbed another water gun. "Bring it on, you two evil twins!"

The three fought it out, shooting each other back and forth. Chiyo joined Rika's side, taking down Kaoru with a headshot.

Honey watched, sitting in the pool, feeling a hint of jealousy. They seemed like they were having so much fun, laughing and screaming. He swam over to the edge of the pool and climbed out. Then he ran to the cabinet and picked a gun for himself.

"I wanna play too!" Honey shouted, running into the middle of the battlefield. Mori, who couldn't possibly leave his cousin alone like that, joined in.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki grabbed the girl. "Help meeeee!" He and Kyoya had already ran around the pool once.

"What? Don't get me into this-" Haruhi said, trying to squirm out of his tight grip. Then Kyoya pulled the trigger and got Haruhi in the cheek.

"Oh, apologies, Haruhi." Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up.

Haruhi stared warily. She really didn't want to get involved in the fight between Kyoya and Tamaki. There was no doubt who would win in the end.

"Haru-chan!" Honey cried out. He was running around getting drenched while randomly firing at the four intense fighters. "Come join us! It's fun!"

"How is that fun?" Haruhi asked, watching the carnage unfold. Mori was standing by, enjoying the show while occasionally reaching his hand out to block Honey from getting hit anywhere vital. The battle was quite even, since neither side was ready to give up. All four of them were firing with two guns in each hand, but Honey was really taking most of the damage.

"Join our side, Haruhi!" Rika yelled, running to the poolside for a quick refill.

"No thanks." Haruhi shook her head.

Splat! "Gotcha, Haruhi!" Hikaru grinned mischievously. Haruhi sighed, standing up.

"Tamaki…" Kyoya said.

"Nooo!" Tamaki ran to the twins, dodging Kyoya's wrath as best as possible.

Before anyone had noticed, the entire Host Club was drenched, even Haruhi, who'd been target practice for the twins. Some of the guests joined in hesitantly, picking up a gun and standing around with uncertainty. Once the guest was hit, though, she'd join in, shooting others down with a laugh. To these Host Club guests, a water gun fight was new to them, but they found it fun anyway.

About twenty minutes later, Rika laid down on a beach chair, gasping for air. "Oh no! I think… this is… the end for me…"

Chiyo knelt down next to Rika, playing along. "No, Rika-senpai! You can't die yet! You still have, um, your boyfriend waiting for you at home!"

"I'm sorry, Chiyo-san." Rika said, taking an exaggerated gasp of air. She grabbed Chiyo's hand. "I'm… not going... to make it. You… You must live… a ha-happy life, Chiyo… san. For me…"

Chiyo nodded fiercely. "I will, Rika-senpai!"

"Thank… you…" Rika closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling the warm sun on her skin. She heard Chiyo stand up.

"I will get revenge for you!" Chiyo yelled, chasing the twins down again. The twins cackled madly.

Rika sat up with a content sigh.

"Rika!"

Someone was crashing down upon her. Someone with a panicked expression, one that she had rarely seen before.

"Ky-Kyoya!"

He landed with his hands on either side of her, and his face was inches from her chest. A light pink dusted his cheeks and ears.

Rika sighed, trying to beat down the blush. "You know, Kyoya, it'd be one thing if it was a banana peel, but you tripped over absolutely _nothing_!"

Kyoya straightened himself. "So-Sorry, Rika."

"What is with you today? The ground isn't even that wet." She tapped the concrete. Then she eyed the bags under his eyes and the fatigue that seemed to be emanating from him. "Are you tired?"

He nodded. "A bit." He was slowly edging away. This was so absurd to Rika. Was it common for people to start tripping everywhere when they're tired?

"Hey, Ri-chan!" Honey sat down next to her with a grin, banishing all previous thoughts. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

Rika blinked, and then nodded, beaming. "Yup! Water gun fights are the best! Oh, have you gone on any of the water slides yet? They're really fun. You should go."

"Okay! I will!"

"Honey!" Ayako cried, carrying a tube over. "Come join me! Let's go ride a water slide!"

"Okay," Honey stood. Then he glanced at Rika.

She smiled. "What? Go ahead."

He watched a moment more, almost as if in concern and then smiled faintly. "Okay. See you later then, Ri-chan!"

He dashed off to Ayako. Rika sighed, placing her chin in her two palms. "I'm hungry." She said to no one in particular.

"Would you like to order some food?"

Rika glanced at Kyoya, who had come to stand next to her. She turned back to the front, watching as Honey and Ayako climbed up the stairs. She sighed. "That'd be nice."

"I was thinking of ordering bentos for everyone," Kyoya said. He looked at her, and his glasses flashed briefly. "What do you think?"

"Do you want me to do it?"

"Well, we don't exactly have everyone's preferences."

"What? The great, all-knowing Ootori Kyoya doesn't know what kind of bento everyone in this waterpark likes?" Rika said mockingly but smiling genuinely. She stood, stretching. "Why don't you just ask them?"

He handed her a paper menu. "Here you go then. Get everyone's order, and I'll make the call."

Rika sighed. "Fine, fine. Lazy bum."

He smiled, as she wandered off to ask Tamaki and the girls around him. That was when he noticed Chiyo and the Hitachiin twins with their heads put together, as if they were conspiring. He saw Chiyo glance secretively at Rika and then whip back around at the twins. Now just what were they discussing? Something like this would not go unnoticed with Kyoya. He walked over to them slowly.

"What's going on here?" Kyoya asked amiably. He had never expected Minami Chiyo to get along with the Hitachiins, so he was quite intrigued by the scene.

"Nothing!" Chiyo replied loudly with a strained grin.

Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged glances, communicating in that silent way of theirs. Kyoya often wondered what it was like to have a twin, someone that almost thought the same you did.

"Actually, Minami-senpai," Kaoru said. "We should totally get Kyoya-senpai into this thing."

"What?" Chiyo looked dumbfounded. "Bu-But-"

"It'll be fine." Hikaru said. "Plus, with Kyoya-senpai on board, we'll have greater chances of succeeding."

"Really?" She asked, eyes widening. The twins nodded knowingly before turning to Kyoya.

Hikaru smirked. "Hey, Kyoya-senpai, do you want to see Rika-senpai in a bikini?"

"Yes!" Chiyo squealed excitedly. The twins shot her down with a stare and she clamped her mouth shut.

Kyoya smiled back. "What exactly are you three planning?"

The twins grinned, pulling Kyoya into their circle. It was about time they had some fun with their short-tempered toy.

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><p><strong>Did you guys like it? A good dose of Host Club fun? Tripping Kyoya didn't seem too OOC right? Please review! And thanks for reading!<strong>


	33. Nothing like I'd imagined

**Over 200 reviews! Thank you all SOOO much! 。(⌒∇⌒。) I love you guys soooo much! So, as thanks, this chapter is longer than usual, but there's some icky drama in it. **

**candymoon2315: **It's fine if you don't review on every chapter! Thanks for reviewing now though! :) Is this considered a speedy update for you? Well, here it is! I hope you like it!

**SmolderingBlackRose:** Yay, I'm glad you like Chiyo! ^-^ Thanks for the review! If you like the plan, please tell me! And hope your summer is going well!

**Karnevalfreak59: **Lol you'll see what it's like. Maybe you'll like it :) Thank you for reviewing! By the way, what should I do about what you sent me? It's so scary and scarring! It's quite impressive how scary it is actually.

**AwakenedSecrets: **Okay, well now it's down to this chapter, the next, and then you'll meet the gang! Sorry for my poor counting, lol. Cheerful people can be suspicious, huh? Hope you like this chapter! :D

**cloudsinwonderland:** Your idea was great! And very cute! Thanks so much for your kind words! You're so awesome! There's not as much fluff in this chapter, but I hope you like it!

**IvanThekillerRussia:** Killer Russia, dang your name is intense! :) Hi! Thank you for the review! Hope you like this chapter!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Nooo don't ship Kyoya with Rika! Lol, the gang's arrival is actually in two more chapters. So after the one after this, if that makes much sense. Please tell me if Kyoya is a bit less OOC in this one! And thank you very much for the review! :D

**DreamRealm3:** Sweet! Your new name is pretty sweet! ^-^ It sounds cool. Ice cream roses sound cool. Okay, I might put ice cream in his cake, since he's the _cool_ type, and ice cream is cool. Lol do tell me if you remember. Thank you! Hope your summer is going well!

**kyoya3guest:** Lol you're such a Kyoya fangirl! XD Wow I read the first chapter. Kyoya so evil man! Thanks for the review! Any other fanfic recommendations?

**Strawberry Neko: **What did you like about 3rd person? Like what did you think was better? Thank you so much! ヘ(￣ー￣ヘ) Isn't that cute? Am I the only one who thinks these emoticons are cute? Anyway, hope you like this chapter!

**mariap:** Hello! Thanks for the review! I'm glad Kyoya wasn't too OOC, hopefully that stays for this chapter too! And I hope you like it! :)

**aaa17: **Lol maybe. Thank you so much for your review! :D And here's the update! Hope you like it.

**KatHAT: **Can you tell me if your guess was correct? Thanks for the review! And the cake idea. ^-^ Mori's cake shall be made next by Rika then! Hope you like this chapter!

**Back to 1st person! Hope you like it!**

**** Okay, anyone who noticed, you may have gotten two emails about this update. Well that's cause I didn't notice some of the reviews, and I came back to reply to them. Hope this doesn't cause much trouble! ****

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><p>I stood next to the pool, waiting for Ayako, Suzume, and Honey to come down from the waterslide. A moment later, someone came splashing in. Suzume resurfaced, laughing while pushing a loose light-brown strand away. Her laughter was cut off when she noticed me smiling at her patiently.<p>

"What is it?" She asked, not harshly but just rather hesitant and weary. Did she think I was going to bite her head off or something?

"We're ordering lunch. What do you want to eat?" I held the menu in front of her. She peered at it.

We were interrupted by another loud splash, and I could hear Ayako's wild giggles. Then something that I really didn't want to hear reached my ears: Honey's own laughter. Suzume poked the paper, regaining my attention.

"I'll take bento number 25." Suzume said before turning away and wading towards her friend.

Honey and Ayako were both sitting in one tube. Ridiculous. How did they even fit in that? The tube was obviously meant for only one, and sure Honey's small and skinny but still…

"Hey, Mitsukuni and Hayakawa-san, what do you two want for lunch?" I called, waving the menu at them.

Honey glanced at me, and I saw his eyes widen. He hopped off the tube and quickly came to me, crawling onto the concrete dripping wet.

"Lunch?" He asked unnecessarily.

I nodded. "Yeah, we're going to call in for our order soon. It's just you two left." I showed him the menu, and he glimpsed over it.

"I'll take number 12." He replied.

Ayako joined us. "Number 13 for me." Then she began walking away.

Honey looked at me and smiled warmly. "Thanks, Rika." His smile seemed like it could melt away the annoyed feelings I'd been having, but it didn't. He was still tromping around with that Ayako, sitting in the same tube. For all I know, he might have even gone on a date with _her_ to the amusement park.

I sighed quietly, unaware that Honey was still standing in front of me even though Ayako had been calling his name for a while now.

"You better go, Mitsukuni." I said, turning away.

His hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me. "But you're a guest too, Rika. Which host did you request for today?"

I stared into those brown eyes. "I'm not a guest." I replied softly. "I'm a part-timer of the club." I smiled. "It gets me some work and trouble, but I also have special privileges." Then, in a louder voice, I said, "I have to get these lunch orders to Kyoya. I'll call you when lunch comes in, okay?"

He nodded, looking rather disappointed. But Ayako was watching and starting to become impatient, so there wasn't much I could do. Plus, I didn't really feel like hugging his cold and wet body.

I squeezed his hand quickly before walking away. He didn't say another word.

Damn it. I shouldn't have come to this resort thing after all. Shopping with Chiyo probably would have been better. I wouldn't have had to do any stupid paperwork or act like a waitress, taking everyone's orders down.

I sighed, walking straight to Kyoya and slapping the menu into his hand. "I have everyone's numbers down. The last three are 25, 12, and 13."

"Thank you, Rika." Kyoya said, pulling his cellphone out.

I sat down at a beach chair. How annoying. I'd come here today to have some fun. And sure, it's been pretty fun so far, but just seeing Ayako with Honey ruins it all. Damn her. I really shouldn't have come.

I ran a hand through my almost dry hair when I saw Chiyo run up to me. "Rika-senpai! Come with me!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

"Huh? What is it?" I asked as she led me away from the beach chairs to a building at the left. It was the bathrooms within the park.

We entered the girls bathroom, and it was dark for a moment.

_Snip, snip, snip._

I thought I felt something cold brush against my belly. Then, the lights flickered on, and Chiyo was beaming at me.

"Oh my, Rika-senpai! Look at what happened to your swimsuit! Come, come. Let's change you out of it." She dragged me further into the bathroom where there was one small rack of swimsuits. They were all bikinis.

Now, wait a minute… Why would there be bikinis in the bathroom? I looked down. There was nothing wrong with my swimsuit, except there was. A ragged line had been cut through it.

"Chiyo…" I said darkly. She was already picking through the swimsuits with an innocent smile. She looked at me and blinked, as if she hadn't been the cause of my swimsuit's injury. "What did you do?"

She chuckled nervously before cramming something into my hands and pushing me into a stall. "Change!"

"No way! You obviously did this!" I started shouting protests. "How could you do this to me, Chiyo-san?!"

"Please, Rika-senpai! Please do it for me!" Chiyo yelled back from outside.

"Hmph!" I frowned, biting my lip. There was no way I was going to wear this. I held up the bikini in my hands. It was a red one, with string that went around the neck instead of straps. The bottom was like a miniskirt, but below it were shorts.

But I can't wear a bikini! My scar will be revealed! I pulled my current blue swimsuit off and stared at the dark line at my left side. Even my parents didn't know about this, unless Mariko had told them.

Let's see… I'll just say that… it's a…

What else could it be other than a scar?

Oh yes! I know!

It's a birthmark!

I pulled the red bikini on, now relieved that no one would ask questions. It was just a birthmark, no worries. If it was a scar, someone would obviously ask how it'd happened.

Even knowing this, I stepped out of the stall with caution.

"Rika-senpai!" Chiyo squealed, grinning as usual. She looked pleased. "Yes! Yes! It looks good on you after all! Rika-senpai really does work well with the color red."

"Cool," I said, crossing my arms. I kept them slightly lower, so that they covered my stomach instead of my chest. Then I walked away from her and out of the bathroom.

"Wait, Rika-senpai! Are you mad at me?" Chiyo asked. She chased after me, walking beside with a concerned look. "Please don't be mad! I just really wanted to see you in a bikini!"

"But you could have at least asked," I replied, keeping an indifferent expression. I wasn't actually that mad, but Chiyo had to learn her lesson. She couldn't just mess with me like that.

"But you would have said no!"

Eh. That was true.

I reached my bag and immediately pulled out a light pink sweater. I slipped myself in, easily covering the scar.

"Eh?!" Chiyo's loud protest caught my attention. "Rika-senpai, why are you putting a sweater on? No! You looked so cute in it!"

I shook my head stubbornly. "No way!"

She pouted. "Why? Even after all my hard work!"

"What hard work?"

"Rika-senpai!" She yelled, frowning and glaring at me. Wow. Did I finally piss Chiyo off? A girl who seems infinitely optimistic and kind?

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Not my fault here, Chiyo-san."

"Hmph," She whirled her back against me, crossing her arms. Okay, now she's acting like a pouting, angry child. I smiled though. It's pretty cute actually.

"Food's here," Kyoya said, coming to us. Three workers could be seen standing in the waterpark doorway carrying stacks of food. The smell was watermouthing.

"Ooh, yay!" I ran towards the food. They set the bentos on the tables out in the cafeteria room. I could hear Kyoya announcing through some microphone system that the food had arrived and for everyone to please come to the main entrance.

I unstacked each bento, and as people came, I handed them their rightful bento. "Here you go, Haruhi!"

"Thanks, Rika-senpai." Haruhi smiled sweetly before going to sit with her guests.

Chiyo was still sulking, sitting lonesomely at a table. I sat down across from her, pushing her bento over.

I clapped my hands together and closed my eyes. "Itadakimasu." Then I began eating. Chiyo hadn't touched her food and was staring with her eyebrows bunched together at the floor. "Are you mad because I'm wearing a sweater?" I asked carefully.

She was silent, then she said quietly, "Kind of. Plus…" Then she shook her head.

"Plus?"

Chiyo stared at the wall, her chin in her hand. "Rika-senpai, you've never felt jealous before, have you?"

I stopped chewing to stare at her with wide eyes. Then I swallowed. "What?"

She tapped the wrapped chopsticks on the table. "Well, you… you're always… I mean, since you have a boyfriend… well, I guess you would have."

"Chiyo-san, you aren't making any sense right now." I said, trying to sound kind.

She frowned. "I'm jealous okay? You're always watching Honey-senpai. It's not fair. Sure, you two are… you know, but still. A-And, even when I'm standing right next to you, all you do is stare at him. You haven't even given me an answer."

"An answer?" I said slowly. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear the rest of it.

"I confessed didn't I? I like you, Rika-senpai, in a romantic sense, and I would like to go out with you." Chiyo said, still frowning. I almost choked on the piece of rice I was eating.

"Uh, well," I stared at the table. Then I bowed slightly. "I'm sorry then, Chiyo-san. I-I already li-like someone else."

"I know." Chiyo replied softly. When I glanced at her, she was smiling, but there was something sad in it. It almost looked like she was trying hard not to cry.

"Chi-Chiyo-san? Are you okay?" I leaned forward. A hand reached out and hovered in the air for a moment pathetically. What was I supposed to do? I'd only rejected one guy before, and certainly never a girl.

She shook her head. "I knew this would happen. It's okay. I guess I just wanted to be properly rejected."

"We can still be friends." I said worriedly. "We'll be friends, right? Cause I really loved having you as a friend, Chiyo-san."

"Mm." Her head bobbed.

I bit my lip and tried to distract myself by eating. "You should eat, Chiyo-san, before the food gets cold."

"I think I should go." She stood. The chair legs struck the ground with a harsh noise.

"What?"

"I have something to do this afternoon." She said, still not looking me in my eyes. She dashed into the waterpark. A moment later, she came out with her bag.

"Chiyo-san," I called, hurrying to her side.

"I'll see you later, Rika-senpai." Chiyo said. Then she walked quickly away. I watched, unsure of how to feel and what to do. Sighing, I went back to my seat and stared at the food. It was good, so I went back to eating. But the taste didn't quite penetrate through my brooding thoughts.

* * *

><p>After lunch, everyone went back in. It seemed like they were all having a good time. I'm sure Kyoya was happy so long as he was getting some kind of benefit.<p>

"Hey, Rika-senpai, nice bikini you're wearing there." The twins said with an almost sleazy grin.

"Perverts!" I replied. Then it slipped into place. "Oh my God. You two did it! You guys made Chiyo-san - I can't believe it! Actually, I can, and that makes it even worse!"

The twins smiled innocently. "What do you mean, Rika-senpai?"

I glared at them. "Stay away from me."

"Don't you want us to take some pictures of you in your beau-"

"Shut up!" I shot them both in the face with a water gun and then stormed away angrily. I ended up wandering alone to the bathroom building to investigate. Behind the building was just a plain wall and two palm trees nearby. I leaned against the wall of the bathroom and slid down to the ground, staring at the blank white wall across from me.

I sighed, pulling my knees to my chest. The day had not gone at all as I had planned. I was so confused. What had Chiyo expected? I thought she would have known I was going to reject her, since she thought Mitsukuni was my boyfriend.

"Something bothering you?" Kyoya's rich, deep voice came to me. I glanced at him and then rested my chin on my arms. I shrugged.

"Where are your guests, Kyoya?" I asked, staring at the wall intently.

"Two of them left. The rest joined the other hosts. They're all riding the waterslides right now." He replied before sitting down next to me. I glanced at him, then picked the water gun up off the floor. I aimed at one of the trees and shot it several times.

"What are you doing?" Kyoya asked with a sigh.

I sighed with him. "Watering the palm trees. What else?" I saw his head turn slightly from the corner of my eye.

Then he said, "So what's bothering you?"

"It's confusing." I said with a frown. "I don't understand Chiyo-san at all. She gets mad at me because I'm covering my bikini up with a sweater, and then she expects a response to her confession at the same time. I think I made her cry. This sucks."

"Hm," he said unhelpfully. Then, abruptly, he added, "So why are you covering up your bikini?"

"Argh, Kyoya! That's not the point of it!" I yelled, whirling to him. He smiled while I glared at him, feeling my annoyance and frustration increasing. I scowled, facing the wall again and stretching my legs out. I crossed my arms, waiting for Kyoya to say something else.

"Minami Chiyo comes from a prestigious family, Rika. Her parents own a solar panel company, a computer company, and have lots of investments in the oil industry. She's an only child and the expected heir to it all. You have no idea what her family life must be like." His voice was gentle, and I relaxed at the sound of it. Kyoya always had a nice voice.

"Then what's it like?"

"Demanding, I'm sure. Although she's enrolled as a second year, she's already in four third year classes and only one second year class. She's also attending two business classes at Ouran University. She's an exception at Ouran."

"You mean, her parents are pushing for her to do well in school?" I asked, sneaking a glimpse at Kyoya. He caught my gaze and nodded.

"She probably has a big part in their family businesses already too. I believe she's currently managing five of their stores nearby. It's quite amazing, really, how much she's achieved already."

Wow. Why hadn't I known this before? I never really looked people up on my red notebook, although I did have access to a large database of nearly everyone in Japan. I should have asked Chiyo. I should have learned more about her and her family.

I buried my face in my arms.

"The Host Club, Rika, to Minami-san is probably an outlet, a haven for her. A place where she can relax and not be expected to do anything but enjoy herself. If she wanted to see you in a bikini, that's what she wanted. But when you didn't meet up to her expectations, of course she'd be a bit upset and disappointed." He said this in a matter-of-fact way. "Are you mad at yourself?" Kyoya asked calmly.

"Kinda, but not really. I don't know. Confused," My voice came out muffled by the pink sweater. I closed my eyes, feeling Kyoya's steady presence beside me. I'd known him for about seven or eight years. We'd been neighbors at the old house, and the two of us had played together often, until middle school when I disappeared.

"You're engaged, aren't you." It wasn't a question, but a statement. So he knew. I raised my head, feeling oddly exhausted.

"Yes, but I _really_ don't want to marry him."

"Funaki Minoru," Kyoya sounded intrigued. "It's quite interesting."

"What is?" I asked turning to him.

He smiled at me in that knowing way of his. That I-Know-Something-You-Don't way that had always annoyed me even when we had been younger. "His family," Kyoya said calmly as if that explained everything.

"Do you know him?"

"I've seen him around Ouran several times before, but I've never spoken to him personally. He's the President of the Chess Club, yes? It's because of him that you had to join that club, right?"

I nodded.

"I see." Kyoya nodded, thinking carefully. "Have you ever heard of Kurosawa Raiden?"

"Who's that?"

"So you don't know him. Then your aunt?"

"What about her?"

"Do you know much about her?"

"Not really. Other than the fact that she's Mom's younger sister." I shrugged. "What are you getting at, Kyoya?"

"How interesting."

"You're not being very helpful. At all."

He just smiled. I frowned at him in turn. "What should I do? I really don't want to marry that guy."

"Marry someone else," Kyoya replied as if that solved the entire problem.

"Mom won't even accept M-" I clamped my mouth shut, biting the tip of my tongue in my haste. Ohh dang, I almost blurted it all out. And that really hurts. Sorry tongue!

"Accept what?"

I shook my head. "Never mind. I'm tired." I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall. "Today went nothing like I'd imagined."

"What did you imagine today would be like?"

I was silent because I couldn't exactly say what my answer was: hanging out with Mitsukuni.

"Does it have something to do with Honey-senpai?"

I stiffened and then forced myself to calm down. "Why Mitsukuni?"

"It's rather obvious, even the twins have noticed. That's probably the reason why they put you in the bunny outfit instead of Honey-senpai."

"Ugh, who cares anymore? I'm so confused that I don't care. It's not like anything will change. I still have to marry that guy. _He _doesn't like me, and that girl is still hanging around him. My friends-"

I opened my eyes and stared at Kyoya. He started when our eyes met.

"Hey, Kyoya, do you know what happened in middle school?" When he didn't say anything for a moment, I continued. "Do you know what middle school I went to? Do you know what I did?"

"I know what middle school Hayashi Rika attended and which one… an Akamatsu Rika went to." Kyoya watched me carefully. "What exactly are you asking?"

"What do you know about middle school?"

"You were the president of some Adventuring Club, stayed in some small place with one maid to take care of you, and you used your credit card quite ceaselessly."

"Then you don't know about the Red Dragons?" I asked. There wasn't much point in hiding it from Kyoya anyhow.

"The Red Dragons was a gang in the area that you were at." Kyoya peered up at the glass ceiling, where the sun was shining through brightly. "A middle school gang, to be exact, one that had its headquarters at… Akawari Middle School."

He seemed to piece it all together then. He spun towards me. "You were a part of that gang. No, knowing you, you must have started the gang."

I smiled proudly. "Yup! One of my greatest achievements." A wave of nostalgia washed over me. I really did miss my friends. "They're coming over during the summer. A one or two day visit."

"Your middle school friends?"

"Yes, my gang - the Red Dragons." I nodded. "They want to visit me. They want to meet the Host Club too, and I'd like you guys to meet them. I think you'd get along well."

"What day?"

"Soon, they were planning on three days from now. I was thinking we could meet at the school. I don't want my parents or family to find out. If they do, I'll be screwed for sure."

"How come?" Kyoya asked curiously. He really didn't know anything about this.

"Don't you know I transferred to that crazy girls boarding school in the middle of the last year of middle school?"

"Of course." He sounded almost insulted that I thought he didn't.

"Well Mom found out that I was in a gang and beating people up. She got pissed, dragged me out of that school, and tossed me into that crazy school."

"An interesting way to phrase it. If you want to use the school, you should go speak to Chairman Suoh. I'm sure he won't mind opening the school for you, if you give him an adequate reason."

"Then you can come? You can bring the Host Club?" I asked eagerly.

"That's what you wanted me to do?" He said with eyebrows raised. Then he sighed. "I suppose it's possible. Haruhi will be leaving for Karuizawa tomorrow though."

"What?" I said. "But-But, it's Haruhi! She has to be there!"

Kyoya shrugged. "Do you think you could push the day forward? To tomorrow? I can speak to Haruhi about this. "

"Okay. Thanks a lot, Kyoya." I smiled happily. Yay! I was finally going to see my friends again.

"Mm," Kyoya only said. "Do you want a tour of the place?"

"What's left to see?" I asked.

"The spa area," He stood. "Come, you haven't seen everything." I scrambled after him, and we walked further to the left of the main doors. We passed the two kiddy waterslides and one of the play structures, with normal slides and water gushing over the platforms, along with water guns attached to the sides.

"This is a huge place. What are they going to charge to get in?"

"I heard the minimum was going to be 100,000 yen."

"What? That's ridiculous! Only rich kids are going to be here then."

"That's precisely the point." Kyoya said, as we walked by another bathroom building and several cabinets no doubt filled with water guns and toys.

We launched into a debate on the pros and cons of having a high admission fee for the waterpark. Kyoya started writing in this book, calculating profit. "I'll be sure to report this. And here," He stopped suddenly. "This is the spa area."

Before us was a large, steaming tub with round curves stretching out towards the wall. There were jets blasting hot water out along the sides. I poked a toe in it. This would be nice and much more relaxing compared to cold water.

Then, Kyoya took his shirt off.

"What? Kyoya, what are you doing?" I demanded, as his lean, bare chest came into view. I blushed, turning away. Little Kyoya did not have abs like that.

"Do you want me to get in a spa with a t-shirt on?" He replied calmly, stepping in. He sat down and closed his eyes, leaning back with a content sigh. He'd even taken his glasses off and set them next to his flip-flops. An eye opened. "Aren't you going to come in?"

"Close your eyes!" I said. He did, and I quickly yanked the sweater off before plunging into the hot water.

"What are you so worried about?"

"This is the first time I've worn a bikini in front of a guy, okay? What do you expect?" I lowered my head into the water, blowing a few bubbles while watching a relaxed Kyoya. "You know, you should come here more often. Or does your current house have a spa?"

He leaned his head back to touch the floor. "What do you mean?"

"You need to relax more."

"You can be awfully naggy about relaxing and getting enough sleep, Rika." Kyoya said, rolling his neck around.

I shrugged. "If you weren't tripping all over the place, I wouldn't be. Besides, you should just take better care of yourself." I started wading further into the spa. "Hey, Kyoya, where does this go?"

There was a huge metal wall over a part of the water. I poked it, then ducked under the water to see. The spa kept going.

A hand wrapped around my shoulder, and I resurfaced. "Back away, Rika, and I'll open this for you." Kyoya climbed out, dripping water everywhere, to a panel nearby. I took a few steps back, and soon, the metal wall was moving up.

"Wow," I said, as the view of the outdoors came. "This goes outside! Cool!"

It looked like a natural hot spring, curving to the right to form a figure-eight shape. The side along the spa was mainly dirt and rock, but there were also a few trees and grass.

Kyoya and I relaxed outside for a while. The breeze made things cooler, so we eventually went back in. We sat there silently, with our eyes closed. This was nice, certainly better than watching Honey run around with Ayako.

"Rika, do you have a scar?"

I froze. "What?"

"You see, there's a rather big hospital in that town you lived in during middle school. And one day, there was an interesting case. A young girl was brought in with a gash in her left side and required seven stitches. However, no name or cause of injury was given. Instead, the hospital let it slide without notifying anyone about this incident and, around the same time, received a donation of one million yen. A strange event, wouldn't you agree?"

Damn, he's found me out. He has access to the databases of hospitals all over Japan?

"That hospital is an Ootori one, Rika."

No wonder. I sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"How did it happen? A gang fight?"

"Yeah." I watched the constant stream of bubbles, remembering that day. "We don't fight with weapons. It's part of the conditions of the gang challenge. If any weapons are pulled out, the side that does so automatically forfeits. But that gang… well, they had about thirty-five people, the average high school gang size at the town."

"But the Red Dragons, if I remember, had less than ten."

"Yup! Thanks to Akane and I, we could easily whip their butts! They only know street fighting, and they always leave themselves wide open. It's not that hard, but sometimes quantity wins over quality. We had some friends who'd pitch in every once in a while, some kendo, judo, or wrestlers from a different school. That day, we were about to win as usual..." I trailed off, as the memories came flashing back.

I remembered when it happened. There'd been about eight or so people left, and I'd just knocked one guy down. Someone yelled, and I turned. That's when I saw one guy charging at me with a determined glint in his eyes. It was too late when I spotted the sharp object in his right hand. I managed to dodge to the right, but the knife still pierced into my left side.

"One guy pulled out a knife, charged me, and stabbed my side. It's a good thing I was able to dodge a bit, or else who knows what would have happened to all the organs in me." I said.

The sharp pain came back to me, and I could feel a dull ache at the scar. My fingers ran over it, trying to sooth that throbbing away. I could still see the dark red liquid that spilled out and coated my right hand. It all came rushing back: the spots that dotted the grass beneath my feet, Ryota's fierce scream as he bashed and beat the one with the knife, and the pain that overtook all thoughts. It'd been a terrible experience, and those moments had been a hazy blur to me.

I remember calling out to Ryota, and he ran to my side. Akane beat up the rest of them, while Mina who had been with us that day called the ambulance. Mikiya was at our clubroom, and he kept screaming in the earpieces, making us all cringe. An ambulance came, and I was rushed to the hospital where they immediately stitched me up.

I remember waking up in the a hospital bed with Mariko leaning over it, looking teary-eyed and pale. The moment she saw I was awake, she tore outside to call my parents. But I told her not too, yelled and threatened and requested that she not. She said that things were getting out of hand, that someone had to know. I persuaded her, though, that this was a one-of-a-kind thing and would never happen again.

Eventually, she relented. When the doctor came, she asked me what my name was. I wasn't sure how to bribe people, since I'd never done it before. But it worked. I told her no one could know, because I didn't want the guy who'd pulled the knife to get caught and tossed into jail or whatever. Then I offered her money and a donation to the hospital. Surprisingly, she agreed.

"I couldn't let my parents found out so I bribed them."

"With your parents' money too," Kyoya said. "But why are you afraid to show the scar?"

"My parents don't know about it, unless Mariko told them. Besides, people are bound to ask questions."

"So this is where you two are!" A familiar, cheery voice called. I turned, catching sight of Honey running at us with a grin. Then I blushed, looking away. He was shirtless. "Come on, Rika! Cake and ice cream are here." He grabbed my arm and easily pulled me out of the spa.

"Huh? Wait, what?" I said. How had Honey even found us here? I stared at his bare chest, and then quickly whipped my head away. "Mi-Mitsukuni, why are you shirtless too?"

"Too?" Then he saw Kyoya. He smiled. "You can't expect me to go swimming with a shirt on, Rika!"

He froze, and I stood there dripping. Suddenly, it seemed quite cold. I glanced around in search for some towels.

"Rika, when did you change?" Honey asked. He was staring at my exposed tummy, and a shade of light pink had appeared on his cheeks.

"Gah, don't look at me!" I crammed my hands over his eyes. "It's cold! I need a towel!" I spotted the rack and ran towards it. After bundling myself up with a large towel, I came back and picked up my sweater.

"Why is there cake and ice cream in the first place?" I asked, trying to avoid looking at his chest.

"I ordered some. Come on, Kyo-chan, don't you want some?" Honey's eyes met Kyoya's, and abruptly Honey grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. Kyoya and Honey's face disappeared from my view as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. What was this… a half-hug? A one-armed hug? What would you call this?

There was an oddly tense atmosphere before it was broken by Kyoya's rather stiff "No thank you. I'm fine."

"Okay then. Let's go, Rika." Honey, holding my hand, led me away.

* * *

><p><strong>So there's some subtle jealousy. Ugh, drama. Well, Kyoya wasn't too out of character right? Some parts I thought maybe but, uh, you guys decide. I think I'll watch some Ouran to regrasp their characters. And any thoughts on Chiyo? Personally, I thought she was being weird, and I'm the author haha. That's probably not good.<strong>

**Sorry if there's not much Honey in this! Most of it is dialogue with Kyoya. Any Kyoya fans out there, I hope you're satisfied! Because there's not gonna be much Kyoya after this. And after the next chapter, we will be meeting the gang! Yay! **

**Oh and yeah, the whole plan wasn't that great, cause Chiyo could pull the entire thing off. The twins supplied the bikinis, and Kyoya was just an accomplice that didn't do anything but enjoy the end result. Argh, should have thought of something a bit more dramatic, but well. **

**This is long. Anyway, review please! And thank you thank you thank you for reading! :)**


	34. This sucks! A disaster strikes!

**AwakenedSecrets:** Thank you! And yes, you will be meeting the gang on Monday. She hadn't planned the confession, but it was in the revenge part 2 chapter, with the Kyoya picture sales. Lol thank you so much! Hopefully, you'll like this chapter! :)

**Hime1234:** Thank you! And what do you think? Do you think Kyoya likes Rika? :D Hope you like this chapter!

**Strawberry Neko:** I see, I see. Thanks for the awesome feedback! Next chapter is the gang one! Yeah, emoticons are cute right? And do you think drama is a good addition or not really? Thanks again!

**SmolderingBlackRose: **Same, kinda boring, except for this! ^-^ And there will be more Chiyo, she's not just going to give up! Thank you very much for the review!

**aaa17**:Thank you so much for your kind words! Fluff levels vary but yes I will try and add more fluff. After you finish this chapter, please tell me how fluffy you thought this chapter is! Too fluffy, not fluffy enough, or just the right amount? Thanks! :) Haha, fluffy sounds kinda weird.

**Independent Not in Love:** Noooo! You know what, my goal is to get you to ship Rika with Honey! Lol, Kyoya's awesome though :D Good to see you back again, and thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter! Pst, has Kyoya fluff near the end.

**IvanThekillerRussia:** Thank you! Such kind words, fufufu! Hope you like this chapter! ^-^

**Karnevalfreak59: **Mild horror? I imagine Tamaki's brains being blown out! Lol, since it's so short, I just put it at the end of this chapter. Is that okay? I also did some editing, nothing major, just capitalizing. Go see for yourself and do tell me what you think! :) If you don't like it, I can totally pull it off this chapter.

**Jewelsy426: **Aw, thank you for reviewing and for reading all this time! Well, Honey's birthday has already passed, since it's Feb 29, and Rika's is in November. So it'll take a while! And yes, as you'll see in this chapter and the next, Honey will do some more talking, soon. As for your other review, lol, I've actually been planning for a special chapter just from Honey's POV, but it'll be awhile from now too. So please just be patient! And thank you again! :D

**PhoenixOtaku: **Yay, thank you! :) Could you tell me what your hypothesis is? Or at least, if your hypothesis turns out pretty accurate? And nope, no Chiyo in this chapter, but hopefully you'll like it!

**kyoya3guest: **Well the Red Dragons were pretty discreet. Hehe, jealousy, we'll see about that. Thank you for the review! ^-^

**Wow. So this chapter might be my shortest one in a LOONG time. Or shortest one, ever. But hope you like it anyway! **

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><p>"Um, Mitsukuni, was there something going on there?"<p>

"Nope! Nothing at all," Honey replied innocently. Talk about being suspicious, and he was frowning.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

He shook his head stubbornly.

"But our promise…" I trailed off, staring at my bare feet. It would always be like this, wouldn't it? I felt like I barely knew a thing about Honey. Sure, he liked cake, strawberries, and virtually anything that's sweet, but what else? There had to be more to him than just that. What did he dislike? Was there anyone he hated?

"I'm sorry, Rika." Honey's handed tightened around mine. I glanced at him but his hair hid his eyes.

"I told you-"

"I know." We stopped by the play structure, hidden from the rest of the Host Club here. He was still holding one of my hands, as he faced me. "It's selfish."

"So was what I said," I replied. "Please tell me."

"But I'm not in a position to say something like this," Honey whispered.

"Why not?" Could it be? Was it something like jealousy? Ooh, that'd be so nice to hear from him. "Aren't we, um, dating?"

He squeezed my hand not as gently as before. What was going on? What was bothering him? I tilted my head, trying to see his eyes. Instead, I had a very nice view of Honey's bare skin, and before I could stop myself, my face was burning. Ahh, Mitsukuni, you're going to set my face on fire!

Then, just as abruptly, he let go. "Let's go eat cake, Ri-chan."

We headed towards the cafeteria. But without our hands linked, it seemed like we weren't together. For some reason, walking beside him, I felt lonelier than I ever had before.

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><p>It was about time I called Mikiya and see if they could come visit tomorrow. I was fairly dry by now, so I pulled my sweater on, then went to my bag to get my cellphone.<p>

That's strange.

Panic began to fill me as I rummaged through the bag. Where was it? Where was it? I pulled the papers, pens, and my wallet out. My cellphone, keys, and camera were here. I lifted my bag upside down and shook it. Only a loose hundred yen coin fell out.

No.

It felt like my heart was about to stop.

I stood, barely registering the fact that I'd dropped my bag.

"Something wrong, Rika-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

"My bow - it's gone!" I practically screamed.

"What?" The twins, Tamaki, and who-cares-who said in unison.

Honey rushed into my view. "Your red bow, Rika?" I nodded, trying to focus my gaze on his face, but it was impossible.

"Da-" I barely managed to stop the cuss words ready to pour out. Shit! My bow! Akane's bow!

I turned to the guests, who had begun whispering. "Has anyone seen a bright red bow? Well, actually, it's not a bow. It's a piece of red sash."

They all shook their heads.

"Where did you last see it?" Haruhi asked calmly.

"I put it in my bag." I said. "Right when we came here."

"Are you sure you did?" An obnoxious voice said. I turned, and my eyes narrowed on Ayako.

"I take very good care of my bow," I replied, trying my best to not snap at her. "There's no way I'd take it with me into the swimming pool. Who knows what chlorine water would do to it." Oh God. It must be in the water.

I ran towards the swimming pool, peering into the blue depths in search of any red. Nope. I sprinted around the pool but still couldn't find any signs.

"We'll help you, Rika-senpai!" The twins said.

Tamaki nodded, pulling a board out of nowhere. "Team! This is an important mission, Mission Find Rika's Red Bow!"

"Very creative, Tono." The twins smiled.

"What? Do you guys have a better idea?!" Tamaki demanded, jabbing some strange stick in the twins' faces.

"Tamaki-senpai, that's really not the point." Haruhi said, the voice of calm and reason as usual.

"We'll split up!" Tamaki continued, tapping the stick on a map of the water park. "Split into teams of four!"

"Do we have to help her?" Suzume whined. "It's her fault for losing her bow. Why should we help her look for it?"

"Rika is a fellow guest." Kyoya said, having popped out of the air as usual. He pushed his glasses up. "If any of our guests lose a precious belonging, we the Host Club would of course do our best to recover it."

I couldn't have been happier to see Kyoya. I wished he'd just kick Ayako and Suzume out. "I'll start looking." I said, heading towards the waterslides I'd gone to first. "The other guests don't have to help out, but thanks anyway, everyone."

The Host Club nodded, although some of the guests didn't seem too pleased.

I explored the water slides' pool. Nothing. Where could it possibly have gone? There's no way the bow could have just walked off by itself. Someone must have taken it. Someone must have thrown it somewhere, or they still had it. Or they destroyed it.

My eyes widened at the thought. No way. Akane's bow, the one thing I had of her. A special bow she'd gotten from her biological mom, yet she'd given it to me. There's no way it could just disappear like that.

I dashed up the stairs of the water slides, but still nothing showed. I hopped down two at a time and nearly ran Honey over.

"Mitsukuni-"

"Did you find it yet?"

I shook my head. "It couldn't have- I didn't lose it! There's no way-"

"I know." Honey replied. His voice was steady and calming, and that warm smile seemed to be telling me that everything was going to be okay. "Come on! Where else?" I pointed towards the nearby play structure.

Minutes ticked by agonizingly, as the two of us rushed from place to place. Our eyes scanned over everything, in vain hope of spotting some speck of bright red.

Please let it be alright. Please let it be in one piece. Please tell me it wasn't burned, or shredded. I wouldn't even mind if it'd been tossed in the trash. Just please let it be alright.

I felt like I was near tears. There was no hope. It was gone.

"Rika," Honey came to my side, gasping for air. "There's still one last place." He pointed to our left, a place I hadn't been. It was at the very back of the waterpark. I nodded, and he took my hand. Together, we jogged over.

"The wave pool," I said breathlessly. It was enormous. I ran to the front, where some tiny waves were lapping the sloped floor. I peered at the water, before glancing wildly around. I found another one of those cabinets and hastily wrenched it open.

They did have goggles, I thought in relief, as I grabbed one off the shelf. I came back, adjusting the goggles.

"What are you do-"

I didn't quite hear the rest of Honey's words, because I'd plunged into the water. I looked around underwater.

There!

I resurfaced, gasping for air as I waded forward. "I found it, Mitsukuni!" It was in the farthest and deepest corner, bouncing up and down in the water. I swam to the edge and pulled myself up, then ran along to the very end. I knelt and extended by arm out, but it was too far away.

"Rika!" Honey was calling.

I jumped into the water. My fingers found the soft cotton fabric, and I felt all the previous fear and anxiety in me vanish. I held it close to me and began swimming back to the shore.

Honey was standing in the shallow end, watching worriedly. I ran to him with a smile. "I found it!" I held up the red sash for him to see. We both froze when we saw. "No." I started shaking, partly because it was cold and because I was pissed and frustrated.

The bow had been cut in half. It was just a short strip of red now, and there was no way I could use it as a bow in my hair anymore.

"Why?" I screamed. "What did I do? What did I do?! This is the one thing- the one non-living thing that I care about! Anything else of mine could have been fine. Why this?!" I glared up at the glass above. The sun had already sunken and was no longer directly shining at us.

Honey's warm hand fell upon my arm. "I'm sorry, Rika."

I was shaking in fury. "Someone did this, Mitsukuni."

He was silent.

"It has to be a guest, because _no_ Host would do this." I said, clenching a fist around the bow. I already had a hunch.

"Calm down, Rika!" Honey said. His brown eyes were concerned. Oh no, I've made him worried again. Then he wrapped his arms around me, and I found myself staring at his bare collarbone. Um, Honey was still shirtless. Okay, let's not turn into a tomato now. "Please." Then I felt something soft press against my forehead. When I glanced up, I saw Honey kissing me on the forehead. It was gentle and careful and completely stopped all trains of thought.

"Wh-What are you doing?" My voice quivered, but I'd calmed down. I was blushing madly too. Great, now I'm a tomato.

Honey smiled, looking pleased. "Do you feel better now?"

I sighed. "Yeah, but my bow…"

"It'll be okay." He reassured me with a grin. "Do you want to go find the other half?"

I shook my head. "This was the last place, and it wasn't here. Someone must have it, or it's somewhere else. It's fine." I rubbed my eyes, before resting my head on Honey's shoulder. "This sucks. I hate whoever did this."

He rubbed my arm, sounding cheerful. "It'll be alright, Rika! Do you want a new bow? I'll buy you one!" I shook my head. I only wanted Akane's bow.

"I can't believe this. And I'm going to meet Akane soon too. This was her mom's, Mitsukuni. Not her step-mom, but her actual mom. And now it's like this." I held the strand up. I frowned. "Oh well, it's not like anything can be done now."

Even though I said this, I wanted to pummel whoever had done this. Toss her into a pool, slam her into the ground, and maybe chuck her out the window.

"Sorry, Rika." Honey pulled me into a tighter hug.

Ah, this is nice. Ha! Take that you Ayako and Suzume brats! I bet you don't get this many hugs from Honey!

Then I felt some longing tugging deep in my heart. No, I didn't just want hugs. I really wanted to tell Mitsukuni. I love you. I wanted to tell him that. I wanted to kiss him. But how could I? Who knew who was watching? And how would he react? What if he didn't like it? What if he didn't even like me in that sense? I was scared of his reaction more than anything else.

But then my eyes fell on the red bow in my clenched fist, and those feelings were washed away. I hope Akane won't be mad. What am I going to do? I love this bow a lot too, since it was a gift from Akane.

"Hey, Rika, I'm going on a five-day trip to this dojo on W mountain. Do you want to come? There's a small village, and it's really nice there. It's peaceful. And, Takashi and Chika-chan and Satoshi are all going to go too."

Going on a trip with Mitsukuni? Hell yeah! "Yeah. I'd love to. That'd be nice. And Mitsukuni, I think the gang might visit tomorrow."

"Okay! I want to meet them too."

I lifted my head and smiled. If Honey was around, then everything would be okay. I had nothing to worry about. "Thanks, Mitsukuni."

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><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"Argh, I can't believe it!" Suzume yelled, kicking the ground angrily.

"Oh calm down, Suzume," Ayako said. She was lounging on a beach chair near the main pool. Everyone had disappeared in a wild search for that Rika's red bow. "What are you mad about? It's not like something precious of _yours _got taken. I knew you shouldn't have done it. If Honey finds out, you are so screwed."

"Shut up! You're screwed too!" Suzume crossed her arms, scowling fiercely.

"I didn't do a thing."

"Exactly, you're an accomplice."

"Ugh, I can't believe you'd take me down with you!" Ayako sat up with a glare. "Excuse me, if I didn't help you! How would you feel if someone took your necklace, snapped it in two, and threw it into the pool?" She jabbed a finger at Suzume's neck.

The girl's eyes widened. "B-But, this is a really expensive necklace! There are diamonds on here, Aya! Did you see any diamonds on that piece of trash? It had a bunch of loose threads too! They're different."

"No, they're not. To Hayashi, that bow is as important to her as that necklace is to you."

"Well fine! I was wrong! Geez!" Suzume stomped her feet in frustration. "I was just pissed at her, okay? How are you not pissed? It's so obvious! Honey just stares at her! Argh, it's so annoying! I hate that girl!"

"So do I, but it doesn't mean you can go and destroy her most precious thing." Ayako said with a sigh. "Besides, what do you mean it's obvious? What is?"

Suzume rolled her eyes. "God, you are so oblivious! Haven't you noticed how much he stares at her? Oh, you didn't see it earlier, but I followed that Hayashi and Honey. And do you know what happened? He _hugged_ her! He kissed her on the forehead! Aghh! I can't stand it!"

"He did what?" Ayako straightened up, leaning forward.

"That's right. He hugged her. He kissed her."

"On the forehead," Ayako corrected.

"Yeah, it's practically the same thing."

"There's a difference, Suzume."

"You don't get it, do you? He hugged _her_! Not the other way around! We're always hugging Honey, and that's great, but have you noticed? He never hugs us!" Suzume pointed at herself. "Not once. And then he goes and hugs her! It's so obvious!"

Ayako frowned. "What is?" She already had a sinking feeling though.

"He likes her." Suzume sat down next to her friend. "Ah, I can't believe it! She's so plain too! Plain black hair, plain brown eyes! She's so short too!"

"Maybe that's why? Since we're both taller than him."

"Yeah but we're both prettier than her!"

"Whatever," Ayako laid down. "Who cares? It's not like we can control his feelings."

"No, we can't." Suzume agreed, before smiling. "But maybe we can do something about _her_ feelings."

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><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

"Kyoya, tomorrow works. They haven't bought the train tickets yet, and they just got some." I said.

He nodded. "Good. The guests are leaving soon, so we can discuss this with the rest of the Club."

"Hey, Rika-senpai!" The twins called, rushing to my side with a camera. "Can we please just take like three pictures?"

I glared at them. "Really?"

"Please?" They pleaded, clapping their hands together. "Be our model, oh great almighty Rika-senpai!"

"No," I crossed my arms and shook my head.

The twins loomed above me with evil glares and sharp, glittering eyes. I slowly backed away, bumping into Kyoya. "Stay away, you evil-"

They grabbed me and pulled the sweater off.

"Ahh! I'm getting attacked!" I screamed, latching onto the closest thing, which happened to be Kyoya's arm. "Kyoya! You demon lord, do something!" I only heard a tired sigh.

"Stay right there, Rika-senpai!" The twins said. I quickly ducked behind Kyoya. Thank goodness he's tall and I'm short. "Nooo! Rika-senpai!"

"No way! Get away from me!"

"Hika-chan, Kao-chan, if Rika doesn't want to take pictures, then you shouldn't force her!" I heard Honey say. I peeked out from behind Kyoya and saw Honey smiling with flowers floating around.

"But Honey-senpai!" The twins cried. "No one models our bikinis! Oh, I know! Now that all the guests have left - Haruhiiii!"

Poor girl. I let out a sigh. "Thanks, Mitsukuni."

Honey grinned at me. "But, you know, Rika, you do look really cute in that bikini!"

I blushed madly and turned my attention away. "I called Tamaki's dad too, Kyoya. He said it's okay. Can we meet up at the front doors of Ouran at nine-thirty? I have to tell everyone else about who the gang is."

Kyoya sighed and stepped away. "Sure."

"Now do you want to put a shirt on?" I asked.

He smirked. "What? Don't like what you see?"

"That's not it at all!" I turned away, only to spot Honey. "You too! Aren't you guys cold at all? You're gonna get sick like this!"

Honey grinned. "It's fine."

"It's not fine at all!"

And that was how the resort day ended, with the usual Host Club chaos. We were going to order more food, but Haruhi didn't want to owe any more debt to Kyoya. So, I treated everyone at a fairly cheap ramen place.

Of course, I couldn't sleep. Even with Kyoya's reassurances that the entire Host Club would be there, I was still worried. Hikaru and Kaoru weren't ones who liked to wake up early, and so was Kyoya. Hopefully, Haruhi wouldn't find the day spent poorly.

And what if they didn't like each other? What if they fought? And, oh dear, I'm going to have to see Ryota. What if he's changed? What if he's completely different? No, no, Mikiya said he's the same. Yuuta didn't mention anything either.

And, Akane will be the same right? Her accent must be gone. That will be so weird! I remember her with a slight, cute accent. I hope she still has the same nice long hair. Ah, she really won't be mad about her bow right? She'll understand right?

Wait, the 3 Musketeers are coming too. Oh dear. They'll probably bond really well with the Host Club's idiot trio. That makes two idiot trios. Tomorrow is either going to be a huge disaster or a huge… crazy, fun day. Hopefully the latter, definitely the latter.

Questions and worries like these flurried throughout my head, but I somehow managed to get a decent amount of sleep. When I woke to the sound of my alarm, though, the same panic and excitement set in.

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><p><strong>Uwaa, Honey was a bit out of character in this chapter, right? Especially in the beginning. Any opinion changes on Ayako and Suzume? How much fluff is enough? <strong>

**And yup! Next chapter, right off the bat, is the gang! For all you who have been waiting, it is here! Oh yes, finally, we can meet Ryota! And Akane! So please look forward to it! The chapter will definitely be longer than this one! **

**Review please! And thank you a lot for reading! :D**

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><p><strong>And now, if you want to read something that may scar you or scare you, or if you're a tad sadistic, then below is a short story that <em>Karnevalfreak59 <em>wrote. WARNING: THIS MAY BE DISTURBING! IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY AMOUNT OF FLUFF! SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! :) I'm not liable for any mental damages. That aside, it also isn't that scary. **

Me- Ohhhhh, Tamakiii~ could you come here for a moment?  
>Tamaki- Yes princess!<br>Me- *grabs rope* Heheehee, you've been a bad boy, Tamaki. *ties tamaki to a chair and pulls up a tv*  
>Tamaki- Mmmm mhhmn mmmmm!<br>Me- Shut up, boy. You're just a commoner that is posing, so just shut up before I wake up hunny-senpai.  
>Tamaki- *goes silent*<br>Me- Good boy, now watch this. *hits Play button on tv and Haruhi pops up kissing Hikaru*

Tamaki- Mhhmnmmmm mmmmnnhhnmh mmmnnnkk!?  
>Me- *takes out Tamaki's gag* Enjooo~yy~ *walks out of room as Hikaru and Haruhi start to have sex and hears Tamaki scream in agony at the sight* My job is done. He can watch his 'little girl' lose her innocence in a threesome next.<p>

**If you want more of that, you'll have to go find **_Karnevalfreak59._ So, see you guys on Monday!****


	35. The gang's visit - finally!

**So this chapter isn't that much longer than the last one. And, for the next few chapters during the gang visit, whenever you see a horizontal line break thingy, that means there's a point of view change from first to third or third to first. Okay? Just to get a good view of how the day goes without sticking to just Rika, cause that'd be boring. You'll see what I mean when you read. **

**Thanks for all the follows and faves, everyone!**

**AwakenedSecrets:** Lol, thank you for the review! Let's not dilly-dally. Go read! :P

**Jewelsy426: **What do you mean you got mad about the jealousy moment? Do you not like a jealous Honey? Or is he portrayed strangely/OOC when he's jealous? Please explain a bit more! I'd love to hear it. Thank you for the kind words and awesome review! :D

**Strawberry Neko: **Yeah drama really does go hand in hand with frustration... Haha, the fluff shall return soon! :) Thank you so much!

**Karnevalfreak59:** You should! Since there doesn't seem to be a lot of horror fanfics for OHSHC. Thanks for the review!

**Independent Not in Love: **Yes, I see what you mean. It's hard to imagine Honey with a scary look compared to Kyoya, huh? Don't worry, though, since there will be a happy ending! :D And thank you for the awesome feedback!

**candymoon2315:** Lol a marshmallow gun? Why marshmallow? And thank you for the review! ^-^

**Ellerocks92:** Hi! Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D Lol, yes revenge is definitely needed.

**SmolderingBlackRose: **Yay! Thank you for the feedback! :)

**DaPandaGirl:** Thank you for the kind review! Now, let's cut the suspense, and get right to it! Hope you like the chapter!

**DreamRealm3:** Yo, catch up yet? :P

**aaa17:** Thank you very much! Hehe, please tell me if you like this chapter!

**Farrafelpies:** Lol, calling them that, guess they deserve it. ^-^ Thanks for the review!

**cloudsinwonderland:** Aw, thank you so much! You always have such kind reviews! :)

**PhoenixOtaku:** Hm hm hm, your theory is probably more realistic and better than the one I came up with T_T It's cute too. Thank you for the review!

**Everyone, I really hope you like this chapter!**

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><p>"Okay, you guys," I said, pacing in front of a seated Host Club. It was nine-thirty, and the gang were arriving at ten. "I'm going to explain something to you."<p>

The school was ghostly quiet, empty of anyone but the Club, and we were currently sitting in Music Room 3. Otsu and Hirase had come and were sitting outside of the room. I wasn't sure how much they knew and, frankly, would rather they knew less.

I told the Host Club a brief summary of middle school within twenty minutes. "That's it! Now you guys know everything. It should explain any questions. And these are my middle school friends who are coming to visit."

"So you lied to us," Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison with matching dull looks.

"I didn't really have a choice to." I replied, shrugging. Then I bowed. "Sorry about lying to you guys. It's just that if my mom finds out that, well, that I still haven't exactly changed, then who knows what she'll do."

"We forgive you." The twins grinned. "If you'll model for us."

"No!" I shouted, shoving them away. "Look, it's mainly because my friends want to meet you guys, and I'm sure you guys will love them too."

"Your friends aren't all guys are they?" Tamaki asked in concern. It almost looked like he had puppy eyes.

"No, they're not. There's also Mina and Akane." I replied. "But you better stay away from Mina, since she's already got a boyfriend. And don't say cheesy words to Akane cause you'll just get smacked."

"Haruhi, you've got new girlfriends!" Tamaki glomped Haruhi. He hadn't heard a thing after I said the first word. Talk about selective hearing.

I smiled. "Haruhi, I'm sure you'll like them. They're all very down-to-earth, good people, and, uh, commoners."

"Commoners?!" The idiot trio said with glittering eyes.

"More commoners, Tono!" The twins began dancing around Tamaki. Kyoya sighed, pushing his glasses up.

"Wait, Rika-senpai," The twins stopped their crazy dancing. "Your girlfriends are pretty right?"

"Pretty? Of course, they're pretty! In fact, Akane is the definition of beauty! And Mina is really cute!" I grinned proudly, then froze in suspicion. "Hey, why'd you ask?"

The twins shared conspiring smiles. "Maybe they'd like to model for us."

"Quit hunting down models!" I screeched, waving a fist at them threateningly. Then I glanced at the clock. "Okay, come on, you guys! Let's go to the main doors and wait for them."

We exited Music Room 3 to head towards the school main doors, but I stopped at the doors for a moment.

"Hey, Otsu, Hirase, can you guys, um, keep a secret?" I asked with an innocent look. I held a finger to my lips. "Don't tell Mom!"

"Our only orders were to protect you," Hirase smiled back knowingly. "Nothing about reporting your actions, Princess."

"No 'Princess', Hirase!" I stuck my tongue out, something I'd been wanting to do since I'd met up with him.

He grinned, reaching a hand out to pat my head. I dodged it and then dashed off to join the Host Club, walking alongside Honey. Honey was another worry. What if he didn't get along with someone? What if Akane, or Mina, didn't like him?

I looked down at my outfit. I'd snuck one of Kimiko's hooded jackets out and so was wearing a sapphire blue skirt, white blouse, and a black jacket zipped over it. My casual wear back in middle school had consisted of jeans, t-shirts, and jackets. I really didn't want my appearance to stray too far when I met up with the gang.

We stopped in front of the doors.

"Do I look alright, Mitsukuni?" I asked Honey nervously, tugging my skirt down a bit more. The jacket was a bit too big for me too, since I was just a tad smaller than Kimiko.

He looked up and down and then nodded. "You look cute as always."

I turned away and luckily didn't blush. Well, I should have expected that. In fact, asking him was just asking for that kind of response.

"So, what do we do now?" Hikaru asked. "Stare at the doors?"

I grinned. "Yup! Let's just… wait for them to come!"

"Boring!" Kaoru complained, leaning against his brother.

"Psh, you..." I paused. My ears had caught onto some other noise, and I leaned forward involuntarily. I could just start to make out voices.

"It's pink. It's frickin' pink! Does no one else notice this?"

A smile danced across my lips. I have dreamed of that voice for so long.

"Of course we do, Ryota. We're not blind. It's just, you know, interesting."

"Rich people sure spend their money in strange ways."

"They should have made it purple."

"No, red!"

Wait a minute. I thought only the gang was coming, like only Akane, Mina, Mikiya, Ryota, and the 3 Musketeers. So why do I hear...?

"Guys, this has nothing to do with-"

"I knew this was the wrong choice! What if Rika's completely different?"

"Please, Goofy, Mickey and your little bro all said she's exactly the same."

"What if that's actually bad?"

"Stop worrying! There's nothing wrong with change! Jeez, you're more of a worrywart than Mikiya!"

"Hey! Mina!"

"Dude, is this made of marble?"

"How are we supposed to know?"

"Hey, hey, do you think that's gold?"

"How are _we _supposed to know?!"

"Guys, it's here, right?"

"Yeah, Ri-"

I grabbed the double doors and pulled them open with all my might. _Whoosh!_ A gust of wind blew in and I was blinded for a moment.

Standing before me was a group of eleven people. A huge grin spread across my face. "Oh my God-"

"Rika!"

"Rika-chan!"

I launched myself at the one person I'd wanted to see the most for years. "Akane!" She caught me in her arms, and I burst out laughing in sheer happiness.

"Rika! It's so great to see you again!" Her arms tightened around me, and that gorgeous peal of laughter echoed in my ears. I could feel her soft blond hair tickling my arms. Yes, this was Akane. Finally, after all these years, I was with Akane.

"I've missed you so much!" I said, looking up at her. Then I frowned. "Akane, how tall are you?"

"About five feet five," she replied calmly.

"Why are you so tall too?!"

Akane grinned. Her eyes were a brilliant, rich blue color, like the pool water sparkling under sunlight. Her hair was a bit shorter than I'd last seen it but still fell to her shoulder blades.

"Don't worry, Rika! I'm only five two!" A cheery voice said. I turned to my left and spotted Mina, whose black hair was now short, reaching just about her chin, and straight.

"Wow, Mina! You've cut your hair!" I hugged her. "It looks cute!"

"Thanks, Rika! You're still cute too." Mina giggled.

"Of course Rika's still cute." Akane said, almost defensively. "And, you know, Rika-"

"Rika-chan!" Arms swept me up into the air and I shrieked as my feet left the ground. Then I spotted the familiar, scraggly face. His brown hair was a bit shaggy but not too long, and he had grown a small beard. His eyes were the same bright brown as I remembered them, glimmering with humor and amusement.

"Suzaku-senpai!" I said while laughing. "Put me down!"

He grinned, setting me down. He towered over me, perhaps a whole head and a half. "You're so tiny!"

"Shut up!" I had to get on my toes to punch his shoulder. "Why are you so tall? Are judo members supposed to be so tall?"

Suzaku shrugged. "It just happened. And you still punch hard, huh?"

"Oi, quit hogging Rika!" Someone shoved Suzaku to the side, revealing the medium-height kendo champion. "Rika!" Yukari pulled me into a hug. "It's so good to see you again! How are you? I think you've grown! Don't let those monsters get to you!"

I hugged her back. "It's good to see you too, Yukari-senpai. I see you still like purple."

"Of course!" Yukari pulled away with a smile. Her slightly wavy black hair cascaded down her back, and she'd maintained that stripe of purple hair. "That's why I was saying your school should have been painted purple instead of pink."

"You guys are all crazy," Eiji said with a shake of his head. "As usual."

I grinned, holding out a fist. "Yo Eiji-senpai!"

He bumped his fist against mine. "Yo, Rika-chan! How are you doing?"

"I'm good!" I replied with a grin.

"So, Rika-senpai," I heard Hikaru say. "Wanna introduce them?"

"Yeah!" I ran back to the Host Club's side. My gang clustered around to face the Club. "Guys, meet the Host Club."

"One of them is a girl," Suzaku said bluntly, pointing at Haruhi.

"Don't point!" Yukari slapped the hand down. "It's rude."

"Hey, where's Hisashi-senpai and Hisao-senpai?" I looked around but couldn't spot the two burly wrestlers.

"Oh, they have a wrestling tournament coming up," Suzaku replied. "So they couldn't make it. They said hi, though, and they want us to take a picture."

I grinned. "Alright, tell them I said hi back okay?"

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Akane-san." Kyoya said suddenly, bowing to Akane. She smiled and bowed back.

"The pleasure's mine."

"Wh-What?!"

That wasn't just me.

"How do you two know each other?" I asked, whipping back and forth between Kyoya and Akane.

"Go ahead with the introductions, Rika." Akane replied. "We'll explain afterwards."

I sighed. "Okay." I introduced each Host Club member, and then turned to the gang. "This is Katsushika Mina."

"Hello, beautiful princess," Tamaki said, out of reflex probably. He knelt in front of her and extended a rose. "It's an honor to finally meet you."

Mina giggled, taking the rose. "Um, okay. Thanks. It's an honor to meet you too."

"Mina!" Mikiya said in protest. "How can you do that?"

"Don't worry. Tamaki's harmless." I said. "He treats all girls like that."

"What about me then?" Yukari teased.

"I could never forget you, Princess, when you're the most beautiful of them all." Tamaki whispered, holding a rose to her.

Yukari raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? A flirt, playboy, or womanizer? All of the above? Or just hopeless?"

"He's just like that." Haruhi cut in. "Sorry about it."

"It's fine, Fujioka-san." Yukari smiled. "It's cute."

"This is Tomori Yukari, also known as _Violet_," I said with a gesture. "She was the leader of the girls kendo club at Chiasa Academy when we were in middle school. She, Eiji-senpai, and Suzaku-senpai are both a year above me and attended Chiasa, so currently college first years."

"I'm not the leader of kendo anymore, but I will be!"

"And this is Kanada Suzaku, also known as _Cardinal_, who was the leader of the boys kendo club, and the Color Squad." I stared at Honey, the only one who I'd told much about the Color Squad. "This is Sugiyama Eiji, a member of the kendo club."

Eiji was a shorter and buffer guy, with flat dark brown hair cut short. He was a friendly and slightly shy hard worker. He'd helped out with our gang fights a lot, perhaps the most, compared to the others.

"Yasuda Mikiya, who you guys all already met. Remember him, right? And this is Barton Akane, who's from America but has perfect Japanese. And she's my best friend, so you all better treat her well. These three buddies here," I pulled Rikuto out from the crowd. "Come on, you guys. Don't be shy, you're the three Musketeers."

"This is Ueda Rikuto." Rikuto was a tall, lanky guy with narrow, reddish-brown eyes and red stripes through his hair. He was a curious, friendly guy and asked a lot of questions.

"Matsuoka Tarou," I tugged on his arm. "Come on, Tarou. These guys don't bite." Tarou was quite the opposite. He was quiet around strangers and was also protective of his friends. His dark blond hair was gelled up into a single spike, and his gray eyes were staring at the ground intently.

"And this is Tsutomu Kenta, together, they make the 3 Musketeers." I smiled and hugged the three. "Hey, you guys!"

"Hey, Captain!" They said, grinning.

Kenta was the laziest one, with half his black hair dyed green. He slung an arm around me. "Rika-chan, if you only knew, Ryota-"

"Shut up Kenta!" Ryota yelled, smacking Kenta not so lightly.

I slipped out of Kenta's arm to fully face Ryota, the one person I had been waiting for. "Asari Ryota, and Asari Yuuta, his younger brother." I said, not even looking at the Host Club. Instead, I was staring calmly into Ryota's dark brown eyes. They were still as impenetrable as the last time.

"I think we should talk," I said breathlessly. Our gazes were locked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, definitely." His black hair was the same, longer than his brother's, messy, and a bit curly. And his voice was so much deeper. It was kinda strange, but it also fit him. Like Mikiya, he'd grown, and he looked stronger, tougher.

"Wait, Rika," Honey's voice cut through. "Don't you want to know how Kyo-chan knows Aka-chan?"

"Aka-chan?" Akane said. She shook her head. "No, you are not calling me that. I don't care if you're the great Honey, or whatever, or if you're even dating my best friend-"

"I'm still your best friend, right?" I cut in, bouncing to Akane's side. I wasn't sure if I wanted Akane to continue your rant. It'd be best if she could get along with Honey. She stared at me and nodded.

"Of course, Rika."

"Yay!" I hugged her. I loved Akane so much. She was the only best friend I'd ever had and ever would. "I miss you so much. Now would you like to explain how you know Kyoya?" And now, a smooth transition to a different topic.

Akane sighed. "It's a pretty long story."

"Rika-senpai," The twins whined. "Give us some incentive to listen to this long story."

I stared at my friends. "Do you guys want to model?"

"Model what?" Mina asked.

"Lots of clothes," The twins grinned.

"Sure!" Yukari clapped her hands together. "It sounds fun!"

"There's your incentive," I said, as we headed towards Music Room 3. "Come on, we're going to the Host Club room."

As the others settled down in the room, I went to make some tea.

"Hey, Rika, you don't have to make tea." Akane called into the backroom.

"Please, it's early in the morning and you guys came all the way over here." I replied. I heard footsteps and saw Akane coming to my side.

"Then let me help," She smiled. "Hey, you know, Rika, I started an anime called Hetalia."

"Aw, really? That is such a good anime! You did a good job in picking that one how far in it are you? Have you finished the axis powers yet? Who'syourfavoritecharacterdoyoulikeRussiaImeanhowcanyounotlikeRussiahe'slikethemostpopularcharacterrightButmyfavoriteisprobablyItalycausehe'ssocutewho'syourfavoritecharacterAkane?"

"Calm down, Rika!" Akane let out a short giggle. "I like Russia, but he's kinda scary. I think my favorite would be… hm, I don't know, but France is pretty funny. They all are."

"Ugh, it sucks cause I can't watch any more anime!" I frowned. "No manga and no anime for three years. It's a new high score for me."

She laughed. "It would be for me too. I'm already done with Axis Powers, and I've started reading some manga but not much. You'll have to give me some good recommendations."

"Okay! There are so many awesome mangas that you have got to read!" I picked up the first tray. Without having to say anything, Akane picked the other one up and followed after me. We launched into a discussion on genres and other mangas that Akane had already read.

* * *

><p>The room was pretty quiet. Kyoya was talking to Mikiya, and Mina was listening.<p>

"Hey," Ryota stepped in front of Honey. "You're Honey, right? Rika's boyfriend?"

Honey nodded, swallowing. He had no idea what to do. He knew Ryota was a precious friend to Rika, but what if her feelings were deeper than that?

"It's nice to meet you." Honey stood and bowed.

Ryota bowed too, as Yuuta came to his side. "Hello, Honey-san."

Honey grinned. "Hello Yuu-chan!"

Ryota stiffened at the name. "Don't call him that."

"Why not?"

"Just don't," Ryota looked away, as a frown appeared.

"It's fine, Onii-chan." Yuuta said. He peered towards the back room as Rika and Akane stepped out chatting in lightning speed.

"-shethrewhimoutthewindow!"

"Yeahyeah!" Rika nodded vigorously. "Andwhenshesentthatcrazymonsterflyingintotheair?"

"Andthattime-"

"Do they normally do that?" Hikaru asked.

Ryota nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Whenever they haven't seen each other in a long time, like a week, they'll go on these crazy rampages talking about anime."

"Otaku," Kaoru muttered.

"It's an otaku," Hikaru said, nodding in agreement.

"You know, they might be like that for a while," Ryota said. "Since they haven't seen each other for years."

Rika and Akane went around passing tea.

"Thanks for the tea!"

"Thank you."

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>"Okay, explanation?" I asked, sitting down in between Akane and Honey.<p>

"The day after you were taken away," Akane said. "We were visited by your mom again. She was standing in front of the school and ushered us all into her limo."

"It was huge!" Rikuto said. "Ginormous! And shiny! And made of nice leather!"

"Dude, it's her _mom's _limo! Don't you think she'd know?" Kenta said with a friendly nudge in the shoulder.

I smiled and even laughed. "We all know what a limo looks like."

"Rich bastards," Haruhi mumbled.

Okay, so maybe Haruhi had a point with that remark. What I'd said was just a bit snobby and… stuck-up and what a rich brat might say. Crap. I'm turning into one of them! I should have said something else. I should have reworded that better. I-

Akane's eyebrow went up before a small smile broke out. "I think I like her, Rika."

"Of course you would. It's Haruhi. Who doesn't like her?" I grinned.

"Haruhi is so cute!" Tamaki yelled, hugging the girl.

"Anyway," Akane said. "She told us that we couldn't try and contact you. She, like-"

"She threatened us and bribed us," Ryota interrupted.

Mina nodded. "If we didn't try to contact you, she'd give the town and school and us money. If we did, she'd make our lives miserable."

Typical move. It's an irresistible deal.

"We had to accept." Akane said.

"I know." I nodded. "I would have done the same. You can't win against my mom. It's best you guys know that early on."

"That's depressing," Suzaku said, leaning back in the couch. "Dang, how expensive are these couches?"

"Three million a piece," Kyoya said.

"What?!" A mix of the gang yelled.

"We're sitting on a couch worth three million?" Mina squeaked, turning pale.

"Calm down," I said with a smile. "It's nothing."

"You really are a rich kid." Ryota scoffed, turning away from me.

"Ryota!" I said. He glanced at me, and it was quiet. But I actually didn't know what to say. I swallowed nervously. "Um, we'll talk later, okay? I just want to hear the explan-"

"I know." He shrugged, staring at the wall and not at me.

I bit my lip. Ryota! You're so frustrating and annoying, and I really want to hug you! Why are you still so cute?! I thought you'd be all buff and manly and stuff, but you're actually really adorable!

"Just let me talk," Akane said, shooting the gang with sharp stares to silence them. "So we accepted, and we didn't try to contact you for two years. Then, in the beginning of our third year, your mom showed up again. She told us that if we wanted to try and talk to you now, we could. If we could get to you. Mikiya and I searched around the databases and found out that you were attending Ouran. Mikiya hacked in, and I found out that you were a part of the Host Club. It took a while for this to happen though. The hacking was tough, took… what like a month? Maybe more. After that, I dug around myself and got Kyoya-san's information. I called him, and we started talking. That's how Mikiya met up with you."

"What do you mean?" Suspicion and confusion crept in.

"Kyoya-san told me that you guys would be going to that mall on a certain day. I sent Mikiya to the mall on that day on that time. I figured you'd be at the bookstore, so I sent him there. It was a good move, since you guys did get to meet. I couldn't find your cellphone number or email, so I had to get to you from some other way."

"Then, you mean, Mom doesn't mind if I talk-" I froze, thinking. "No, this is another test. Just like how she asked me which high school I want to go to. She's baiting me."

"What?" Akane leaned towards me. "But she came to us and said it'd be perfectly fine if we go find you."

Argh, Mom, why are you so confusing and cryptic? Just flat out tell me what you want me to do!

"Is that it? Did Mom say anything else?" I asked.

Akane shook her head. "Not really. Well, the first time, she was pretty mad at us."

"Frickin' pissed," Ryota muttered. "I was ready for fire to come out of her."

I grinned. "I can see that happening too. So, uh, Ryota, who told the principal? It wasn't you, right?"

His eyes widened, and his head fell. "No, it wasn't, but it was my fault. I, uh, kinda blurted out who you really were. There was this guy who was trashing the gang and you, especially how we didn't know a thing about you. And, well, I got pissed and told him how you were actually a rich kid and some other stuff, and I guess he told the principal. I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, Rika!" He looked up and stared straight into my eyes, as if piercing through to my soul.

He was being honest. Whenever Ryota's being honest and really wants something to get through, he stares straight at that person. It's a good thing.

"Then, how come my mom said it was you who told the principal?" I asked.

Ryota shrugged. "I'm guessing the guy used my name, or something. Or, like, told the principal that I'd told him. I don't really know, because I didn't know he was the one who'd ratted you out until we graduated."

I nodded. "Okay. It's not your fault. Mom would have found out sooner or later anyway."

He stood up, facing me directly. "I, uh, think it's time we sorted some things out."

I stood too. "Okay."

* * *

><p><strong>So did the horizontal line POV change thing work? It'll probably be like this for the next three or so chapters. And? How did the gang meet go? What do you guys think? Good? Bad? Nothing at all like you expected? Not much fluff? Pissed at a character? Any questions?<strong>

**Thanks for reading! :D**


	36. Our secret is revealed to the Host Club!

**Another not-so-long chapter. Anyway, through some estimating, the closest the kiss scene is going to occur is after two more chapters. It really depends on how long the gang's visit takes. I'm debating, and yes, I will need your opinion! So please read the note at the very end. **

**Thanks for all the follows and faves! :)**

**AwakenedSecrets: **Yay! I'm really glad you liked it, since you've wanted to see the gang for so long. Thank you! :D

**Karnevalfreak59:** Yeah so I sent you a PM, and no her fiancee has not "disappeared" haha. Or has he? Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Independent Not in Love: **Whyyy? But that's okay if you're on a different ship. I'll try to put more angst in this story, but as you can see most of it is fluff. Well this chapter has more Ryota in it! Thanks for the review! And all the unique feedback. ^-^

**candymoon2315: **Lol marshmallows, so strange. Thank you for the review! :)

**Jewelsy426: **There's way more Honey in this chapter. And as for your view on how a jealous Honey would act, I think it's really accurate! Since Honey's such a considerate person, and so I used your version of a jelly Honey in this chapter and will continue to do so. Please tell me what you think! And no, you were not being mean at all. It was very thorough and amazing and really helpful. So thank you! :D Lol, ok Honey's lips can taste like cake. That sounds so weird though XD Hope you feel better soon! Or am already better.

**FanfikFreakazoid:** Hi! Thanks for the review! :D And for reading!

**Strawberry Neko:** AU means alternate universe. And thank you! There's some more fluff in this. :)

**Guest:** I know! I'm sorry Mori! And all Mori fans! DX He's a bit difficult to write, but I'll try and put more of him in from now on. Thanks for the review!

**aaa17:** Hehe, now you will know... Thank you for reviewing! :)

**DreamRealm3:** You caught up! ^-^ Yay! Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

**KatHAT:** Caught up yet? Or enjoying the nice Florida weather? :D

**PhoenixOtaku:** Lol, you didn't think it was a bit anticlimactic? And you have been reading since a very long time ago, so thank you for sticking around! :D I swear I remember you from when like chapter numbers were only in the teens. Thanks a lot!

**SmolderingBlackRose:** Yeah, forever lol. I'll try and put more Host Club X Gang moments, hehe. Thank you for reviewing! :)

**Guest:** Thank you! ^-^ Yes, this story will definitely be completed! Hope you stick around to see the ending!

** IvanThekillerRussia**: Yes, it would be awkward. But it's the Host Club! They must be good at socializing with strangers, so they should be fine. Lol heeeeey, great way to make things less awkward XD Thanks for the review!

**kyoyaaaa3guest: **Did you reread it? Do you think there should be more explanation about Akane and Kyoya? Thank you for reviewing! :D

**Okay, this is a chapter that's centered around Rika, Ryota, and Honey. So... hope you like it! And don't forget to read the end note!**

* * *

><p>I led Ryota through the halls silently, back down to the first floor to an area slightly concealed by the staircase. "This should be alright."<p>

"Did you really have to walk this far?" Ryota asked with a disbelieving smile. "This school is huge, man, like a mansion."

"Yup, and this is only the high school building too." We faced each other. Suddenly I was nervous and unsure of what to do. "Um. You-You go first!"

He shuffled his feet for a bit, glancing around wildly. "Well, um, you've really changed, huh?"

"How?"

He stared at me and then gestured. "I mean, like, look at what you're wearing! A skirt? I swear I've only seen you in the school uniform's skirt."

I smiled at the memories. "Yeah cause it's really impractical to wear a skirt when fighting. We could have gotten ambushed at any moment. Besides, Mom kinda took away all my jeans. This hoodie is actually my sister's. I had to sneak it out." I tugged on the bottom of the hoodie.

"You really… We really don't know anything about you. You didn't tell us anything." Ryota said. His face seem contorted with mixed emotions: pain, confusion, regret. "I didn't even know you were the heir to Hayashi Sweets until this year. I've seen Hayashi Sweets stores before, and all my life, they've been this luxurious shop selling sweets that I could never imagine to eat. A-And, all along, you were the heir to it? You'd be the-the owner of every Hayashi Sweets store in this world! I mean, how bizarre is that?"

I was pretty sure that was a rhetorical question. But what he was saying didn't make any sense. "What do you mean I'm the heir, Ryota? I'm not the heir. My sister is."

He looked up and blinked in thought. "But Akane said you were the heir."

"Huh? How is that possible? I-I'm the youngest one. My sis would have to die or something for me to inherit the company."

"Ugh, who cares?" He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated with his eyebrows furrowed. He wouldn't meet my eyes. "What I was trying to say, Rika, was that.. you didn't tell us anything. Those rich brats back there probably know more about you than we do. And they've only known you for less than half a year! A few months at most."

"They're not brats! And I've known Kyoya since I was a little kid. And they didn't know a thing about middle school until I told them this _morning_." I said incredulously. He was being ridiculous and rude.

"The school has three million yen couches! They all own limos! How are they not rich brats?"

"Okay, so they're rich. But they're good people-"

"You say that about everyone!" Ryota said.

"No I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No-" I closed and opened my mouth a few times. The two of us had always argued quite often. I sighed. "Ryota, you…"

He sighed. "Fine, sorry."

He wasn't sorry at all, but saying that wouldn't help the situation. Even after all these years, he was a button-pusher. Well, what had I expected him to say in the first place?

"Then, Rika, are you really dating that one guy? Honey whatever?"

"It's just Honey. And, actually, he's not really my boyfriend, and the Host Club isn't supposed to know."

"Wait what?" Ryota grabbed my arms. "Say that again!"

"Mitsukuni's not my boyfriend." I lowered my voice. "We're pretending in an attempt to get my mom to cancel this stupid arranged marriage."

"Woah, woah. _What_?! Arranged marriage?"

"Ryota! Keep it down! Do you want-"

"What do you mean by arranged marriage?" He shook me a bit. "Tell me, Rika!"

"Look, calm down! Lots of rich families do this! They get their rich children together, plan out a marriage, and make them marry each other! Then rich people get richer! Look, the guy is annoying okay? I really don't want to marry him, so Mitsukuni and I are pretending to date. But it's not working. Mom thinks it's fake."

"Then why are you even still dating him?"

"Cause…" My face heated up, and I stared at my shoes. "I-I li-like him. Besides, it's not like anyone's really supposed to know!"

Ryota let go of my arms and stepped away. I glanced up at him. There was a slight frown and a bitter look in his eyes. "Uh, Ryota?"

"Damn it. You've changed too much, Rika!" He slammed a fist against the wall. "I never would have expected that I'd see you, arrogant Crazy _Red_, blushing and stammering about a… guy! And he looks like that too!"

"Arrogant Crazy _Red_? And what do you mean he looks like that? Don't you dare say anything rude about Mitsu-"

"Why did Yuuta have to be right?" He ran another hand through his hair. Bits of it stood up, and I liked the familiar sight.

"Can you please explain?"

Our eyes met and he sighed. "Did you ever…" He swallowed, and I saw his Adam's apple bob. It was much larger. I'd barely noticed it in middle school.

We both stood there silently for a brief moment. Silence had always been comfortable between the two of us, but now it was oppressive.

I bit my lip, alone with nothing but my racing heart and flopping stomach. It'd never gone this fast. What if I got a heart attack? And died? Okay, now I was just being stupid. But my stomach wasn't being very nice right now. What did I want him to say?

"Rika," Ryota said, starting towards me. Now that it was quiet again, his voice echoed loudly in these large, empty halls. "I-I, uh, did you ever, um."

I met his gaze, waiting patiently.

"Did you ever, uh, li-li-li-"

Uh oh. I think I know what he's trying to say.

"Like me!" He finally burst out and stared into my eyes with strong conviction. "Uh, did you? Ever? During middle school? I-I mean, it's fine if you didn't, I just-" He chuckled fakely, and I could tell this was tearing him apart from the inside.

"Ye-Yes!"

His eyes widened. "What?"

"I d-did like you!" I had to force the reluctant words out. "In middle school, from like our second year and all way to high school." I probably would still like you if I hadn't met Mitsukuni, but I'm not going to say that. My face burned from embarrassment.

"Really?"

I nodded, keeping my eyes glued to the floor.

"I liked you too." His voice was soft and quiet, different from his usual indifferent attitude. "A-A lot."

I could feel myself burning an even brighter red. My heart was speeding up too. Agh, Ryota stop it! I had to force myself to swallow, but my throat was dry. "I-I… wish I had said something."

"Me too," Ryota said. I saw his foot take a step closer to me and then another. I had to swallow and keep myself from running away. What was he doing? "Hey, Rika?"

I had to look at him. I had to. I slowly raised my head up to meet his steady gaze. His eyes seemed warm and tender. "Y-Yeah?" Oops, my voice just cracked. I cleared my throat hastily.

"Can I… have a hug?"

I blinked. That was definitely something I would never have expected Ryota to ask. A small smile broke out. "Of course." I reached over to him.

He pulled me into him, arms wrapping around my shoulders. I'd always thought shojo mangas drew hugs strangely. The guys always go for the shoulders, instead of the waist. But maybe they were true?

I hugged him back with a small smile. "Damn you're tall, Ryota."

He laughed, and I joined in. "And you're really small, Rika."

"Well, excuuuse me, Princess, for not growing an inch." I said with a giggle.

He seemed to stiffen. "That was strange."

"What was?"

"That girly giggle."

"You'll have to get used to it."

He arms tightened around me. "I've missed you."

"Same."

"But you actually missed Akane more, right?"

I smiled. "You know me so well, Ryota."

He sighed. "So it is true." Ryota pulled away, and I let him. "You like Akane more than me." He looked away, a sign of disappointment evident through that small frown-like pout.

"You're so cute, Ryota!" I blurted out with a happy grin. He glanced at me with an alarmed gaze. "Sorry, it's just that… well, you're just too cute."

"Don't describe a guy as cute!" He said, blushing.

"You're blushing though! How is that not cute? Besides, I like cute guys so…" I shrugged. "Sorry, it's my personal preferences."

"Rika!" It looked as if he was making those _ faces, so my grin only widened. I punched him in the shoulder, hard.

"You're so easy to tease, Goofy. Come on, let's go back."

He pushed me gently. "You really do still punch hard."

"I would be pissed if I couldn't, and you can punch me if you want." I said, as we made our way back up the stairs.

"I'm not going to punch you."

"Why not? Just cause I'm a girl?" I grinned at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Please."

We were silent the rest of the way through. I could just see the doors to Music Room 3 up ahead, when suddenly I felt something warm and strong wrap around my neck.

"Ryo-"

His head fell onto his arms, right next to my head, and I swore my head just went _boom_. My face flared. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from squealing. "Ry-"

"Please, this is the first time I've seen you in years. Let me stay like this for a while. Let's not go back for a while."

I relaxed myself, just a bit, but it was hard with Ryota hugging me from behind. Wow, it's the famous back hug! "Okay." I leaned back into him. This wasn't that bad. It was nice. It was warm. Actually, I loved it.

* * *

><p>"What are they going to talk about?" Honey asked, trying to hide his nervousness. The twins were occupied talking to the 3 Musketeers, while Tamaki and Haruhi were chatting with Yukari and Suzaku. Kyoya and Eiji had somehow struck up a conversation, though Honey couldn't tell what they were talking about from where he was.<p>

Suddenly four faces sprang into Honey's view.

"So you're the famous Haninozuka Mitsukuni," Akane said, crossing her arms. "It's Goofy and Rika's business what they're talking about. So, sit down, and let us grill you."

"Akane, should you really be using the word grill?" Mina asked hesitantly. Mikiya stood next to her, his hand laced through hers.

"Please just go along with this, Honey-san." Yuuta pleaded. "You don't want to cross Akane's bad side."

Akane glared at him. "Hush, Yuuta-kun. Go sit somewhere else. This is for the three of us to deal with." She looked like she was preparing to beat someone up.

Honey nodded, sitting down quickly. "G-Go ahead then."

Mina smiled. "Don't worry, Honey-san. We won't hurt you. If we did, Rika would be mad at us. But, well, you know how when the boyfriend goes to eat dinner with the girlfriend's family? The girlfriend's family then, um…"

"Grills," Akane said.

"Yeah, grills the boyfriend to make sure he deserves her." Mina smiled brightly.

"We're, um, like Rika's second family!" Mikiya piped in. "So, we're uh-"

"Going to grill you," Akane said, looming over Honey.

He managed not to squeal, or scream, or anything that might betray fear. He really hadn't expected Akane to be this scary.

"Mitsukuni," Mori said, appearing by his side. "Are you okay?"

Honey nodded. He had to prove his worth to Rika's closest friends. "Please go ahead, then, Barton-san, with the, uh, grilling."

Akane smiled. "My pleasure. Answer these questions quickly now. What's your favorite color?"

"Uh, pink!"

"Favorite food?"

"Cake!"

Akane stared at him. Her blue eyes were sharp and surprisingly bright. Was she disappointed? "More descriptive answers please. What's your favorite sport?"

"Um, martial arts?"

"Why is that a question? Favorite animal?"

"Bunny!"

"Favorite color?"

"Light pink!"

Akane nodded. Did she like him more now? "Favorite food then?"

"Any cake that Rika bakes!"

A small smile appeared. "Okay, when's your birthday?"

"February 29th!"

"Wow, leap year?" Mina said. "That's pretty cool!" Mikiya nodded in agreement.

"Favorite kind of chocolate?"

"Milk chocolate!"

"Hm," Akane said. "Any siblings? Who are they?"

"One younger brother called Yasuchika!"

"How tall are you?"

"Four feet eleven!"

"Stop saying everything in such an excited manner. What's that in centimeters?"

"Um, 148 centimeters."

Akane nodded. "What's 28 times 15?"

"Akane," Mina said. "Who could possibly know that?"

"Fine then. What's 17 times 17?"

"Uh, 289… I think."

"Have some more confidence in your answers. You're correct." Akane then turned to Mina and Mikiya. "Any questions on your side?"

The two shrugged. Then Mina smiled. "Yes! Honey-san, why do you like Rika?"

Urk. Honey blushed and stared at his shoes. "Sh-She's really nice and cute. And she's very friendly, outgoing, sweet and fun. She bakes the best cakes ever too! And she's really considerate and pretty-"

"That's enough." Akane said, holding a hand up to stop him. "What do you think you can do for Rika? The best thing you can do for her."

"Um," Honey stared down in thought. Was this a trick question? He had to answer this one carefully. "Um. Stay by her side at all times?"

"Didn't I say to have more confidence in your answers?" Akane thundered. Honey nodded hastily.

"Yes!"

Akane sighed. "Anyway, wrong answer. Try again."

Wrong? How could he possibly have answered that question wrong?

"Think about what Rika wants and needs, and what you can give her." Akane said. Her arms were still crossed.

"I can protect her." Honey replied. "From those kidnappers, and I can make sure she's always smiling." He smiled. That'd be nice, if he could always make her smile. He turned to Akane, waiting to be scolded some more, but was instead greeted by a soft smile.

She nodded. "Good answer. Well, it's not like we can really do anything about it. I'm sure Rika has a good reason for picking someone like you." Her hand reached out and Honey tensed. Then something gentle patted his head. Akane's smile widened, and there was a quiet giggle. "And you have soft hair."

"Yeah, about that kidnapping thing," Mikiya said, as Akane withdrew her hand. "Can you tell us the details? We don't really get what's going on."

"Right, you guys should know," Honey nodded. The four gathered around him as he explained the events.

* * *

><p>Rikuto saw half the gang encircling Honey and turned towards the twins. "Hey, Hikaru, Kaoru, do you think Honey-san and Rika make a good pair?"<p>

"Duh," The twins replied, arms slung around each other. "They both love each other but they won't admit it."

The 3 Musketeers exchanged glances. "But I thought they were already dating," Rikuto said. "Aren't they?"

"Wait, what?!" The twins yelled. "They're dating?"

"Dating?!" Tamaki heard and sped to the group's side. "What's going on?"

"Tamaki-senpai, you're as much of a gossip hound as a stereotypical housewife is." Haruhi mumbled, following behind.

"Don't you want to know what they're talking about?" Tamaki asked her with wide, excited eyes. She just shrugged.

The idiot trio turned to the 3 Musketeers. "Care to explain?" Hikaru asked.

Kenta shrugged. "We heard from Mikiya that Honey and Rika were dating."

"What really?" Tarou gaped. "How come I didn't-"

"What is this?!" Tamaki flew over to Honey and grabbed his arms. "Honey-senpai, you have a girlfriend now?!"

"Um, yes," Honey replied. He stared up at Mori, who was standing behind the couch. Honey had told Mori the situation, the whole fake dating thing. It seemed like things were starting to get complicated. If they were really dating, would they want the Host Club to know? How should Honey respond in a situation like this? He wasn't sure anymore.

Then the door flew open and Rika stepped in, as red as a strawberry. She cleared her throat. "So, do you guys want some cake?"

The room fell silent.

"You're dating Honey-senpai?" Tamaki squealed.

"Wow, finally!" The twins said. "Took you two long enough!"

"Congrats, Rika-senpai, Honey-senpai." Haruhi smiled.

"It's this pipsqueak?" Suzaku pointed at Honey. "I heard you had a boyfriend but it-"

Yukari shoved him aside and smiled sweetly at Honey. "You better take good care of my little Rika, dear, or you'll regret it."

"Wow, Rika!" Rikuto said. "Why would you pick a guy like him? Is he that great? I thought you had high standards. Do you two really match that well?"

"Of course she'd pick someone like him." Kenta said with a smirk. "Look at their heights. They match perfectly. Plus, isn't he some great martial artist or something?"

"How come I didn't know Rika had a boyfriend?" Tarou demanded.

"What is going on?!" Rika yelled, silencing the room.

"Since when were you two dating?" Akane asked.

"Um, several weeks ago? A few weeks ago?" Rika replied, trying to recall the precise date the two went to the amusement park.

Ryota sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is getting annoying."

Honey had barely noticed what the others were saying. His attention was latched on the fact that Rika and Ryota had come in, both blushing profusely.

He stood up and walked to her side briskly. "What happened, Rika? What did you guys talk about?"

Rika met his gaze and then shook her head. "Nothing. You don't have to worry about it."

"Rika, aren't you going to tell them?" Ryota asked, grabbing her shoulder.

_Don't touch her,_ Honey thought, feeling a strange sense of irritation nagging at him. He didn't like Ryota. He didn't like seeing Ryota with Rika.

"Tell them what?" Honey asked with a bright beam. It appeared a bit wobbly to Rika though.

"Mitsukuni?" Rika said, tilting her head in concern.

Ryota nudged her to the side, and said, "You guys aren't really dating. Do you even like her?"

"Ryota, shut up!" She said. She pushed Ryota back as fear squirmed into her heart. A fight was the last thing she wanted.

He swivelled his gaze onto her. "Aren't you going to tell them? You don't mind them thinking that you guys are really dating?"

"What do you mean?" Akane asked in unison with Tamaki and the twins. Everyone gravitated towards them in curiosity.

"It's, um," Rika glanced at Honey for help, but his eyes were glued on Ryota.

"It's fake," Ryota said. "They're faking a relationship to try and stop her mom from making her marry some dude."

"What?!" Akane demanded, shoving everyone else to the side. "What's going on, Rika? What marry some dude?"

"It's an arranged marriage, Akane," Rika said weakly. "I can't do anything about it."

"But," She glanced at Honey. Then she leaned towards Rika's ear and whispered, "Do you actually like him though? Honey?"

Rika nodded, as a faint pink color appeared on her cheeks. Akane sighed. "This is like Minnie and Mickey all over again.

"What do you mean?" Mina asked.

"I'll tell you guys later." Akane replied.

Like Minnie and Mickey all over again? Rika thought. Her mind swirled at all the various meanings it could hold. Does that mean that… that Mitsukuni likes me? But…

"I knew I shouldn't have come." Ryota said loudly. "I'm leaving now." He walked quickly out of the room.

"What? Ryota, no!" Rika chased after him. "Come back here, you idiot!"

Honey took a step to follow when an arm stopped him. "Stay here, Honey." Akane said. "Let them have their time."

Honey pouted, sitting down. "Why wouldn't she tell me what happened?"

Mina and Akane exchanged glances. "You know, Honey-san," Mina said with a small smile. "Rika is a person who believes in equivalent exchange-"

"Now's not the time!" Tamaki interrupted, flailing his arms in the air. "Someone explain what is going on! What arranged marriage?"

Kyoya sighed. "Allow me to explain, Tamaki." He gathered the confused to properly explain the situation.

Mina waited until the others were quietly listening before continuing. "Rika is a person who believes in equivalent exchange-"

"WHAT?!" The twins shrieked. "They're faking when-" They were silenced quickly, and Mina sighed.

"Anyway, equivalent exchange when it comes to information." Mina said hurriedly. She saw Honey's confused expression and rushed to explain. "What that means is that she doesn't like to tell someone everything about her without knowing the same amount of information about that person. Do you understand?"

Honey nodded. It was true that he hadn't told her that much about himself.

"Basically, for her to tell her about something as personal and important as this," Akane said. "You have to tell her something on the same level."

"Or you could confess to her," Mina said brightly with a grin. "That'd fix all the problems."

"Not necessarily. I just hope I don't have to play Cupid again." Akane muttered.

"It wasn't that bad was it?" Mikiya asked in concern. She shot him a pointed stare until he hung his head. "Sorry, we're hopeless."

"We are not!" Mina said hotly.

As some small quarrel began, Honey's attention was fixated on the opened doors. Where had those two gone? What were they doing now? He stood and walked, numb to all the other loud noise, towards the door.

Now that Ryota had appeared, Honey had realized something. Rika could slip out of his fingers far more easily than he'd ever known.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I was initially planning for Rika and the gang to have a tour of Tokyo, but I also realized that that would at least take another chapter or two, possibly more. Plus it'd mainly be the gang and not much of the Host Club, cause why would they come along when they've grown up in this city? <strong>

**So here's the two options: The Tokyo tour or moving on to Rika's trip with Honey. **

**The first option means more gang. The second option means more HoneyXRika and will bring the kiss chapter up sooner, by the way. So please tell me which one you'd prefer!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	37. The successful visit comes to an end

**Short chapter, again. And sorry it's so late, but there was a power outage so I didn't get a chance to update until nooow. And, moving on to the trip won. But since there was a surprising amount of people who wanted to see the Tokyo tour, there was a sort of compromise. The trip chapter is the next one. This one is again filled with the gang. So everyone is happy, right? ^-^ Thanks for all the new follows and faves, everyone!**

**I got a lot of reviews this time. Thank you all sooooo much. Each review makes me really happy and I always grin like a maniac. You guys are the best! :D Oh and through some estimating, I think this story will probably reach 60 or 70 chapters. I did warn that it was going to be long. So hope you all hang around for the ending! :)**

**Zae Marks: **Aw, I'm glad you reviewed! And you don't have to review every chapter, but an occasional one would be wonderful! :) Heehee, thank you for reading! Guessing you're also a lover of fluff?

**RosemaryThief:** Hi! Thanks for the feedback! And for reading! I hope you'll look forward to the trip, cause things are gonna happen! ^-^

**Jewelsy426: **Don't be scared to leave a review! Oh and if you have any other thoughts on how a character should act (especially canon ones) please tell me! Lol, ok the story will return to more Honey. Happy (late) Fourth of July to you! :) And thank you for such nice reviews!

**AwakenedSecrets: **Hehe you really like the gang, huh? Well here's one more chapter of the gang for you! And yes, they will start appearing more. You'll definitely hear more about them. Thank you for your continued support! :D I really appreciate it.

**Hime1234: **Thank you for the feedback! And you've been reading for a while now, so thanks! :)

**eclipse. firsttears101: **Hello! Thank you for reading! And here's the update! Sorry fanfic won't accept your name without a space...

**Lavendor Queen: **Hi! Thanks a lot for the feedback and reading! :)

**SmolderingBlackRose: **Sorry you can't see the trip, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it! ^-^ Thank you so much for reading and reviewing on each chapter!

**Karnevalfreak59:** Okay, I'll wait for your answer! And yup! There was some RikaXRyota ;D Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**aaa17:** I'll see about the love triangle, lol. Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)

**PhoenixOtaku:** More gang for you! And you're right, Rika doesn't really know the city. Thank you lots for reviewing every time! :D Hope the tension you mentioned was resolved in this chapter, at least a bit of it.

**kyoya3guest:** You're a very good reader, huh? ^-^ Good at seeing little things. Thanks for reviewing every chapter!

**DreamRealm3:** Lol got a robot over on your side of things? Honey is sooo adorable! Ah, just don't die from cuteness overload, okay? XD Thank you a lot for reviewing all the time!

**candymoon2315:** Haha I like how you added your own sound effect. Boom! :D Thank you for the review!

**OtakuGoesRawr: **Hi! I'm glad you reviewed! You should drop one every once in a while and tell me what you think! :) And thank you thank you! Your review was so nice and fluffy! It made me feel fluffy! So thank you!

**nhiai93:** Lol don't worry, seems you're not the only one who hasn't written a review before. XD Suddenly there are names I've never seen before. Hello though! Nice to meet you! Hehehe, nice third option. Sadly, things are going to be linear and boring and no sneaking out :P Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**DaPandaGirl: **You're baaaack!Nice profile pic, by the way, Toph is awesome! Yes, I'm working towards a Honey perspective chapter, coming up soon actually. There needs to be a chapter where Honey just talks about himself right? Thank you for reading! And reviewing! And the ideas! :D I appreciate the ideas, cause they can lead to inspiration and flashing light bulbs! So keep them coming!

**Strawberry Neko:** Nice! Log cabin sounds fun! Lol, hope you're happy with how things are going out! And yes, I've estimated as seen above ^ and it's a lot. So... what do you think about that? It's gonna be a long story... Thank you for the review! :)

**FireIce Kitsune Kayla: **Hi! Thank you very much! ^-^ Here's the update! Your questions will be answered!

**Rabbit: **You're amazing. All in one night?! Incredible... Thank you for reading! And for the review! :D 

**So many reviews... I'm awed at the sheer quantity, much less the quality of the reviews. You guys are sooo nice! :D Okay. Chapter. It's been long enough. Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>"Ryota, get your butt back over here!" I called, dashing after him.<p>

"Need some help, Rika-chan?" Otsu asked cheerfully. He and Hirase were sitting outside of the Host Club doors.

"I've got it!" I yelled back, picking up speed. Ryota wasn't slowing down though. "You idiot! I baked a cake specially so that you and the gang can eat it! Now get back here!"

"No way!"

I gritted my teeth and forced my legs further. When the distance seemed small enough, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Ryota!" I felt him falling. Uh-oh. I twisted myself to the left, and we crashed on to our sides. "Oof!"

"What the hell, Rika?" Ryota asked, turning to me.

"Ouuuch," I replied. My landing had sent all the breath out of me.

"You alright?"

I opened my eyes and saw Ryota's concerned face hovering above me. I bit my lip, sucking in some air. "Yup," I said, exhaling. He held out a hand and I took it, pulling myself up.

Then I stared up into Ryota's eyes. "Look Ryota, if you're going to regret coming… I don't regret it at all. I've wanted to see you for so long." I had to look away. It was hard to maintain a gaze into those strong, steady eyes. "I-I know that things may be a bit, well, strange or, um, awkward between us but you still - you're still really special to me. You have a really special part in my heart."

"I know," he said softly. His hand wrapped around my arm. "Sorry. I just can't stand… nevermind."

"Rika!"

I looked up. Honey was barreling down the halls after us, and he wasn't stopping. Instead, he grabbed my arm and twirled me away from Ryota.

What the hell is going on here… Now I'm dizzy. Great.

"What? Mitsukuni," I grabbed my head with one hand, another latching onto Honey's sleeve, trying to focus on the spinning world.

"Didn't you say there was cake?" Honey said, grinning as usual. There were even flowers floating around.

I nodded, dazedly. "Specially made. Hear that, Ryota? It's chocolate with vanilla icing and-"

"I don't care," Ryota said. He turned around and began trudging towards Music Room 3.

I frowned, following suit. "Jerk face." I stuck my tongue out. "You've never had any of my cakes before. Once you get a taste-"

"Eh? Asari-san's never had a taste of Rika's cakes?" Honey said, popping his head in between the two of us. He smiled. "Asari-san is missing out then!"  
>Ryota made a displeased face. "Who cares? It's just cake. There's nothing great about cake."<p>

Honey and I stopped at the same time, while Ryota continued. When he noticed we weren't walking anymore, he slowed and turned towards us. "Quit lagging. Weren't you two so excited about cake?"

"There's nothing great about cake?" I repeated darkly and slowly. "Nothing... great?"

"Cake is the best thing in the world!" Honey said, in a serious tone. He jabbed a finger into Ryota's face. "Cake is amazing! And delicious! And impossible to survive without!"

"For you two freaks," Ryota replied with that arrogant smirk of his.

"Head chop!" I smacked my hand on top of his head.

"Ow! What the fuck, Rika! Don't head chop me!" Ryota said, grabbing his head and looking teary-eyed.

"Don't insult cake then!" I threatened, glaring at him.

"Okay! Okay!" He waved his hands as if to fend me off, taking a few steps backwards.

"What did Ryota do?"

I glanced up and immediately grinned. "Akane!" I bolted to her and tackled her in a hug.

"Rika," Akane said, sounding happy too.

"Why does it look like a puppy reuniting with its master?" Ryota mumbled, with an almost appalled and annoyed expression.

I glared at him. "You wanna shut up?"

"Yeah, Goofy, shut up," Akane said.

"I'm assuming," I heard Hirase say in an amused tone. "That Rika would be the puppy?"

"I can see that too," Otsu's voice was quiet, but that didn't mean I hadn't heard.

I glared at the two of them. "Wasn't your job just to protect me? Nothing about talking." Then I heard a giggle from above me. Akane was smiling.

"Sassy as usual," she said, before pulling me even closer. I laid my head on Akane's chest. Hehe, no one else but me can do this.

"And someone calls us homosexual," an annoying voice whispered. I whipped my head to its source, and spotted the twins, and everyone else, watching.

"Shut up," Akane replied, arms tightening around me.

"Yeah, at least this wouldn't be considered incestous." I mumbled. "Besides, Akane and I aren't like that. You see, Akane gets lots of confessions. Right?" I glanced up at her.

She nodded, pumping her fist as if in fierce declaration. Her voice still wasn't that loud, though, when she said, "That's right! I'm as straight as the next man!"

…

"Where did you hear that saying?" I asked curiously, as the twins and Suzaku burst out laughing. Suzaku was silenced when Yukari punched his arm, and the twins quieted after being glared at by Tamaki.

"TV," Akane said simply.

I smiled, then chuckled. We finally broke the hug. "So? How many confessions have you been getting?"

"At least two a month," Mikiya said, holding his laptop up for me to see. It was a spreadsheet, with columns for name, grade, and whether it was a confession, love letter, flowers, chocolates, or other gift. There was even a column for the date that said person gave said gift or confessed.

"Uh, Mickey, are you a stalker?" I asked as I went down the sheet. "Ha! Even first years from college and from high school? You've gotten even more popular, Akane!"

However, when I turned to face her, she was frowning. "I turned them all down."

"What? Why? Akane!"

She shook her head. "I barely know any of them. There's no way I'm just going to go out with some guy whose name I've never heard of."

"What about Ashida Kazuki?" I asked. I could hear the others chatting in the background.

"I haven't spoken to him since middle school," Akane seemed surprised that I was bringing him up. He'd befriended me for the sake of getting closer to Akane, and he'd confessed in our second year. Akane had turned him down, though, and after that, he'd never spoken to me again.

"Seriously?" I sighed. "Wait, Mickey, why are you keeping record of all that?"

Mikiya smiled and then shrugged. "It started out because Akane wanted to keep track of whoever possibly liked her, so she could avoid them. And then it turned out like this."

"That's some extreme escalation," I said.

"It's ridiculous," Ryota said, crossing his arms behind his head. "And it's annoying. Do you know how many chocolates she gets? We have a constant supply of free chocolate in our club room."

"Isn't that great? You don't even have to spend a yen on chocolate," I said with a smile. Akane nodded. Of course, she'd enjoy free chocolate. "Oh yeah, are you guys still using the same clubroom?"

The gang nodded.

"The one at Akawari Middle?" I asked, shocked.

"The school lets us," Akane replied. "Hey, Rika, what happened to my bow?"

Ah, crap. I knew she'd ask sooner or later. At least she was being blunt about it. "Sorry," I said, staring into her bright eyes. Her eyebrows raised.

"Explain please?"

"I lost it when I went to a waterpark," I looked down at my shoes. "It got cut in half, and it went into the water. So, it's a mess but…" I reached into my hoodie pocket and pulled the frizzled strand out. Azumi had done her best last night in washing it, but there was still a hint of chlorine.

"It wasn't Rika's fault!" Honey said. I smiled. He was defending me. He was helping. Even so, I was scared to look at Akane. Was she going to be mad? We weren't going to fight, were we?

Her hand fell on the one that was holding the bow. "It's fine. It wasn't that important to me, anyway."

"Wait, what?" I looked up, confused, although relief was overwhelming me. Akane was just smiling warmly.

"I said it's fine. I just thought that, since we were the Red Dragons after all, and you're our leader. Well, you ought to have something that's red right? And your hair was a bit plain, just in a ponytail. So I gave you the bow."

"But wasn't it, like, your mom's?"

"Yeah, but I don't remember a thing about her," Akane said, as if that explained everything. She took the bow. "It's so short now."

"Yeah," I said slowly.

She met my gaze and smiled. Okay, she was definitely not mad. Thank goodness. "Come on, Rika. Did you bring that bag of yours?"

I followed her back in, where she located my bag.

"Don't worry. This little thing shall not go to waste," Akane said, before taking my old bow and wrapping it around the strap of my bag. She tied it into a bow. "See? A bow on your bag. It works fine."

"But now my hair is going to be plain again," I replied, though I did like seeing the bow on my bag.

"It's just perfect like that." Akane smiled sweetly.

"I feel like we're watching a drama," Kaoru said, sitting on a couch nearby.

"I know right? Anyone have some popcorn?" Hikaru agreed.

"They've always been like this," Mina said grinning. "Isn't it cute? They're, like, the bestest friends."

"Are you sure that's a word?" Mikiya muttered quietly.

"I wouldn't call that cute," Hikaru replied.

"Says the incestuous twin," I snapped back.

"How are they incestuous?" Yukari asked curiously.

I stared at the twins. "Care to perform for them?"

"No thanks!" They replied with bright grins. "We're just fine like this!"

"Oh! Cake!" I clapped my hands together. I ran to the fridge and pulled the box out. Someone had followed behind me.

"Ooh, cake," Honey grinned happily. "I'll help, Rika!"

"Thanks!"

It was a chocolate cake, with vanilla icing and those small cherries usually found on ice cream lining the edges. It was the center design, though, that I was most proud of.

"Ta-dah!" I said, gesturing at the cake.

"Wow!"

"Oh cool!"

"Rika-chan, you made this by yourself?"

"More cake. Yay." That was the twins with their ever exuberant enthusiasm.

"It looks nice."

"Amazing," Ryota said almost breathlessly. "You seriously made this all by yourself? Why didn't you ever tell us you were this amazing at-at baking?"

I smiled. "Well, now you know. What do you think, Akane?"

"I like the dragon," Akane replied. It was a red dragon head. It'd taken some time last night, trying to paint the icing on like that, but it'd turn out alright.

"Okay! Let's eat then!"

* * *

><p>There was something special about this cake that Rika had baked. Honey took another bite and chewed carefully. What was it? It was different from her other cakes. He watched as Rika passed out cake slices to everyone. She'd given him a generous slice, which had earned him a strange stare from Rika's friends.<p>

Oh dear, Honey thought. I hope I don't scare Rika's friends away.

"Something wrong, Mitsukuni?" Takashi asked, sitting nearby. He eyed the cake and the slow eating from his cousin. It wasn't usual that Honey would take so long to eat a slice like this.

"It tastes different," Honey replied.

"What does?" Haruhi asked, intrigued.

"The cake tastes different. It's not like the usual ones." Honey stared at the slice in front of him. It was starting to bug him. Why couldn't he tell what it was?

"This is amazing, Rika!" Mina was saying.

"It's delicious!" Yukari agreed. Suzaku and Yuuta nodded.

"Thanks everyone!" Rika grinned. She looked up and caught Honey's gaze. She smiled.

"Rika, what did you put in this cake?" Honey asked.

"Hm? The usual stuff," she replied, walking over. "What do you mean?"

"It tastes different."

"Oh just let it go already," Ryota mumbled.

"Don't be so rude, Goof," Akane said.

Rika was smiling though. "As expected of Mitsukuni! You're right! I put just a bit of cinnamon in the cake batter, and some more vanilla extract than usual. So maybe that's why it tastes different?"

"Mm! Maybe!" Honey grinned, keeping up his cheerful attitude. But really, he was ready for her friends to leave. Rika had barely paid him any attention today. What was the point of inviting the Host Club over? Just so that her friends could meet them? Then in that case, they were only here because of her friends' selfish whims.

At least it seemed like the Host Club was entertained. Honey enjoyed the cake while watching Rika sit on the couch with Akane and Mina.

Akane pulled Rika's hair out of the ponytail. "I learned how to braid hair recently."

"Really?" Rika smiled. "Are you braiding my hair then?"

"Yup."

"How have you two been?" Rika asked. "Hey Mina, is your sis still modeling?"

"Wow! Your sister is a model?" The twins leapt into the conversation.

"Not anymore," Mina replied with a wave of her hand. "She quit a year ago, mainly because she was tired of it. Plus she was more popular as a child model than a teen one. We're not that close, though. It kinda sucks."

"Man, what a disappointment," Hikaru said, leaning back into his seat.

"What about you Akane?" Rika asked. "How are your parents? Oh, what universities do you guys want to attend?"

"My parents are fine," Akane replied. "I was thinking of a university in Tokyo, though my dad keeps talking about sending me back to the US for college."

"Will you?"

Akane shook her head. "No. I want to stay here, with you guys."

"Same," Mikiya and Mina said at the same time. They exchanged glances and smiled.

"We want to go to the same school, hopefully in Tokyo." Mina said happily.

"Ryota?" Rika turned to said person, but he wasn't in her view, sitting on a couch behind her.

He shrugged. "Probably Tokyo then."

"We'll try for a school in Tokyo too!" Rikuto piped up. "Though I'm not sure if Kenta will be able to make it."

"Aw, shut up Rikuto! I'll study for the entrance exams and get in." Kenta replied.

They all wanted to go to a university here in Tokyo? Honey couldn't believe it. They'd need very excellent grades to be able to make it in, and the school tuition could get pricey. But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe if Rika's friends were nearby, she'd want to stay too. Maybe she wouldn't want to go study abroad.

He didn't get what she saw in that Ryota though. He was just an angry, negative boy. Honey wasn't even sure if he'd laughed today. What was so great about him? She wouldn't pick Ryota over Honey, would she?

* * *

><p>"Hey Akane, where did you hear that I was the heir to Hayashi Sweets?" I asked, as she continued to braid my hair.<p>

"It was in your profile. And it's not just Hayashi Sweets, you've got your entire family's inheritance," Akane replied.

"But why?" I played with the zipper on my jacket. "I have an older sister, and she's certainly capable of taking over everything."

"There was…" Akane stopped braiding for a moment and then she sighed. "I dunno. It's your family business. Why don't you ask your mom?"

I nodded. I had to ask Mom about going on a trip with Honey too. Oh dear.

"That might be why you've been the target for the kidnappings," Akane said.

"Kid- How do you know?" I jerked my head to try and get a good look at her.

"Rika!"

"Sorry," I said, biting my lip. "So how do you know?"

"Well, Yuuta-kun told us, and Honey-san told us the details."

"Yeah, about that," Ryota said. Oh crap. He's not going to chew me out, is he? "You should be more careful, Rika."

"Huh?" I tilted my head, but couldn't see him. "Ryota, can you come here so I can see you?"

He sighed, then moved into my vision. Mina was sitting directly in front of me on the couch, talking quietly to Mikiya. Ryota took a seat on the ground, right next to me.

I blushed. Okay, I hadn't expected him to get _this_ close.

"What?" he asked, looking up at me.

"Um, I thought you'd yell at me for endangering Yuu-chan," I said.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, it's not like you have any control over the kidnappers. And if you get kidnapped, then that'll be troublesome."

"No really," I replied drily.

"Done!" Then Akane wrapped her arms around me, placing her head on my shoulder with a smile. "Are we going to go outside? I thought we could go see the city while we're here."

"That'd be fun!" Mina said with a grin. "We don't come to Tokyo often, so let's go!"

"Sure," I shrugged. Oh but what about Otsu and Hirase? They'll be obligated to come with me, right? Ugh. I stood. "Hey, Host Club, if you want to go home, now is the best time. Gang, if you want to see the city, uh, come with me. If not, you can stay here."

"Yeah, that's our leader!" Kenta said. I rolled my eyes at him.

"See the city?" Yukari asked Suzaku.

"I don't care. I've been to Tokyo before. What do you want to do?" he said with a laidback shrug.

"We'll be staying then, Rika," Yukari called to me.

I nodded. "Okay."

"Hey, Tomori-senpai," Hikaru said, hopping over to her with a devious smile. "Wanna see our creations then?"

"I'd love to!" Yukari jumped to her feet. "Show me!"

Suzaku sighed, as she followed the twins into the backroom. When did the twins have clothes back there? Oh well, shouldn't be a surprise by now.

"We want to go, Captain!" Kenta said.

"I'll come too," Eiji said, standing.

"Me too, Rika-nee!" Yuuta joined in with a grin.

"Then I'll be going home, Rika-senpai," Haruhi bowed at the crowd. "It was nice meeting everyone."

"Thanks for coming, Haruhi!" I smiled, waving. "Oh, hey Kyoya."

"What is it?" Kyoya asked, glancing at me.

"Could you… maybe take Yukari-senpai and Suzaku-senpai to lunch?" I said hesitantly. "I'll pay you back."

He stared at me calmly for a moment, most likely calculating. Then he smiled. "Alright, I'll do that."

"Thank you!"

"Rika!" Arms wrapped around me. I stumbled from the sudden extra weight but kept my balance. "I want to go too!"

"Mitsukuni?" I said. He beamed at me. Mori stepped over with a small nod. I grinned. "Okay then. Let's go!"

* * *

><p>We rode Honey's huge limo through the main regions of Tokyo. Since I hadn't grown up here, Honey actually did most of the guiding, pointing out important, interesting, and unique places. We ate lunch at a simple Japanese restaurant, then we visited a shrine, ate some dango, and wandered through a park. We talked the entire time, catching up with each other.<p>

Ryota was quiet most of the time. The rest were quite excited to see everything. Akane just absorbed it all calmly, staying by my side. We picked Suzaku and Yukari up later, then went to Akihabara, otaku central, dropping by at a maid cafe. It was amazing, and it looked a lot like the cafe in Kaichou wa Maid-sama. Akane agreed with me too. We wandered stores, looking at video games, anime and manga products, and fancy technology. It was fun, especially seeing everyone's awed expressions.

Since the gang didn't want to spend money on a hotel, they rode a late 10 PM train back. Just at the train station gates, though, Akane wrapped her arms around me. "I don't want to go back yet! It's only been a day! Rika!"

"Akane!" I said, tugging at her arms. The others just chuckled at the scene.

"I don't want to leave you," Akane said. She tightened her grip. "Please, Rika. Come back with us."

"You're just tired, Akane," I replied. I patted her arms. It had been more than twelve hours, of course she'd be exhausted. And when Akane was tired, she became a lot more expressive of her feelings and dependent on others. I locked my eyes onto Ryota, who sighed.

He trudged over and grabbed Akane's arm. "Come on, Akane. Let's go home."

"I don't wanna! I wanna stay with Rika!" Akane protested, fighting against Ryota's tugging.

"Sorry, Akane," I said with an apologetic smile. Then I wiggled and slipped out of her grip.

"Rika!" Akane yelled, as Ryota dragged her through the gates.

"Bye! I'll email you!" I waved with a grin. "Thanks for coming everyone! Bye!"

"Bye!"

"See you!" The gang called, waving and smiling.

Ryota glanced back at me one final time and nodded. I waved at him with a small smile. When they had disappeared, I turned to the two that had accompanied me here.

"Thanks for coming with us today, Mitsukuni, Mori," I bowed at the them.

"It's nothing, Rika!" Honey said with a grin. Mori nodded. They were awfully patient. "It was fun. Your friends are interesting."

"Did you like them?" I asked.

Honey smiled. "Yeah!"

I was glad. The day had gone well. Plus I'd gotten everyone's contact information. Now, all I had to do was go home and get permission to go on a trip with Mitsukuni. It shouldn't be that hard… right?

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, the trip is coming next chapter. Oh and do you think I should continue calling Honey "Honey" in the text? Or switch to "Mitsukuni," at least when Rika's narrating? Or do you not care? <strong>

**Thanks for reading! :) **


	38. I'm going on a trip with Mitsukuni!

**Okay, so I'm trying out using Mitsukuni instead of Honey. Tell me if you guys think it's weird! This is a longer chapter than the last ones have been. **

**kyoya3guest:** Your first review came so quickly! :O And yes! I would be honored if Rika could appear in your story! Please tell me when you publish it! I'd like to read it. :) Lol, thank you so much! And no, this is not the trip to Tokyo... it got summed up in like a few small paragraphs.

**PhoenixOtaku:** Hehe it is Kyoya. Thank you for the feedback! And the review! :D Could you tell me what you think of Mitsukuni being used? Thanks!

**Karnevalfreak59:** Sorry the voting for that is already closed. DX But more gang will be coming! What do you think about some drama though?

**Rabbit: **Aw, addictive? Thank you so much! ^-^ It's cause you guys are all so nice! Ah, do you have any preferences on fluff or drama?**  
><strong>

**RM Kox: **Thank you! Here's the chapter! :) And do you like fluff?

**Hime1234: **Heehee, strong and manly. Thank you for the review! :D

**AwakenedSecrets:** I'm sorry! The gang left... I'll definitely put more of them in. Do you like there being some drama? Like between Honey and Rika? Thank you for the awesome review as usual! :D

**DaPandaGirl:** Yes! You make an excellent point! ^-^ Thank you lots and lots!

**DreamRealm3:** Lol I want a robot too! Thank you very much for the feedback! Hehe, the fluff level in the story is going back up! :D

**KatHAT:** Catch up yet? Or caught up in bipolar weather? XD Thank you for all your reviews!

**candymoon2315:** Thank you! :) Hopefully the name switch won't be confusing!

**aaa17:** You like RyotaXRika? Hm well there's more fluff again! Thank you for the sweet review! :D

**Farrafelpies:** Hey, you're back! ^-^ Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy the fluff!

**Strawberry Neko:** Yeah, it was a bit rushed. Hehe, thank you! Lol, going on forever? XD Thanks though, I don't feel that worried about length now. More fluff and romance time! :D

**Hope you like the chapter!** **And thanks for all the new follows and faves!**

* * *

><p>It was almost eleven when I came home. Azumi greeted me at the door.<p>

"How was your day with the Host Club?" she asked.

I nodded. "Good, and tiring." I was already half way up the staircase when I realized that I was wearing Kimiko's jacket, when I'd left wearing a black shawl. Well, maybe Azumi hadn't noticed. Crap. She probably did. I shouldn't have any hoodie jackets like these.

"Rika-sama," Azumi called from below. I stopped, glancing down. "Your mother is here."

Oh, good... I think.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"In her office," Azumi replied.

"Alright, thank you," I continued up the staircase to my room, where I threw Kimiko's jacket into the laundry bin and pulled on my black shawl. These past days had been surprisingly cool. The true summer heat had yet to attack. Shawls weren't very practical, but I was sure Mom would rather see me in this than the jacket.

Then I walked towards Mom's office. It was further down the hall, away from our bedrooms and in front of a separate, smaller staircase. I stopped just at the dark wooden door, hesitating.

"-lmost eighteen!"

Hm? That was Kimiko's voice, and she was yelling.

"I know." And that was Mom. "I just don't think there's much purpose in telling her. It's not going to help her."

"She should know. It doesn't have to help her for her to know."

Who were they talking about? I had a creeping suspicion, though, that it was me. Mom was hiding something from me? And Kimiko knew about it?

"I can't believe that she's gone all her life-" Kimiko was saying.

"I already said it was _fine_, Kimiko." Mom was starting to get annoyed. "I'm sure Rika wouldn't mind either."

"Yeah, right! You of all people know that Rika hates not knowing stuff!"

"I suppose, but this really isn't important enough-"

"Important enough?! It's about her family! How is that not important enough?"

"Rika-sama," a voice said from behind me, causing me to jump. Azumi was standing behind me, her hands clasped in front of her. "Knock."

I swallowed and then knocked on the office door. "Mom? Can I come in?"

"Perfect timing, come on in," Mom said from within.

I glanced at Azumi one more time. She just smiled. Ugh, she was as confusing as Mom was. I stepped in to the office and shut the door behind me.

"Actually, Kimiko was just about to leave," Mom said shooting a stare at Kimiko. "Isn't that right, dear?"

Kimiko's face was flushed, and I could tell she had been seriously angry. She stared at me with a slight frown and then nodded. She left the office quietly.

Mom's office was spacious, with a large, dark walnut table in the very center, facing the door. Behind her seat were ceiling to floor windows. Wasn't that dangerous? I'd always imagined that Mom could be shot dead through those windows. Lining the walls on the left were bookshelves. To the right were some filing cabinets and a TV hanging in the corner where Mom could see it. Her desk itself was cluttered with papers, folders, pens, a phone, and a desktop computer.

Mom cleared a few papers away and then folded her hands on the table. She was wearing a dark red and black kimono today. "I have good news for you, Rika."

Good news from Mom wasn't always good news for me. I nodded nervously. "What is it?"

She smiled at me. "I have scheduled a date for you with Minoru-kun."

Oh God. Let's take a moment to throw up, wither, and die. I forced a smile though, and said, "What day is it?"

"Well it's not finalized yet, since Minoru-kun has been busy this summer with cram school. He's such a hard working boy, isn't he?" Mom smiled at me, waiting for my agreement. I nodded. "But I was hoping that it be after we visit your aunt. I'll be leaving tomorrow, anyway, and I'd like to be around when you go on your first date."

Thank goodness. "Mom, I'll go on the date and be civil and polite-"

"Of course you will," she said.

I paused. Maybe this was a good time to ask her about me being the heir. Akane had told me to ask my family, and if anyone would know about it, it'd be Mom. "Mom, am I the heir to the family businesses?" I asked.

She looked at me and then nodded. "Yes, you are." Then she gestured at the chair across her. "Go on and sit down, Rika. No need to stand."

I crossed the distance between us, my feet tapping quietly against the wooden floors, to the chair. I settled down, trying to make myself comfortable. "But why? Onee-san is older than me. Why wouldn't she get it?"

"It's been decided a long time ago that you'd be the heir," Mom replied calmly. "Even before you were born. Oh yes, it was when I found out that I was pregnant with a healthy child."

"Why not onee-san? She came out before me. She's older. She-"

"It's been decided, Rika," she snapped.

"But why?"

"You don't _need _to know why," Mom said, crossing her arms. "I suppose one big reason is because you're more suited to be the heir. You have the brains and the talent. You have natural leadership skills, Rika."

"And Kimiko doesn't?"

"Not as much."

I nodded, staring at my hands in my lap. I still didn't get it. Why was I the heir? Kimiko would be out of college in just a few years. She'd be available to start learning about the business, whereas I still had years of education waiting for me. I sighed.

"Is that all, Rika?" Mom asked with a tilt of her head, waiting.

I looked up and tried not to sigh again. "Can I go on a trip?"

"What trip?" she replied.

"I'm going with Mitsukuni, Mom. We'll be going to this small village at W mountain. It's summer, so I'd like to go somewhere."

Mom picked up a cup of tea and sipped daintly. Then she said, "Just Haninozuka?"

"His younger brother, Yasuchika, and the two Morinozuka sons are going too," I replied. Please just say yes. Please!

"Oh right. You see, Rika, I recently saw your mid-term exam results."

Oh dear.

"I must say I was a bit disappointed that you weren't in the top five," Mom said. I doubt it was just a bit. It was probably a lot more than a bit, like _very_ disappointed.

I nodded solemnly. "I'll work harder next time."

"Yes, lucky for you you have a next time," she said, staring at me with a hard gaze. Great, she wasn't in the best of moods thanks to her argument with Kimiko. "But in real life, usually you won't get a next time. Do you understand, Rika?"

"I'll be in the top five… next semester," I replied, staring at her desk but not her.

"Look at me Rika."

I did.

"You won't be in the top five," she said, brown eyes boring into mine. "You will be at least number three."

I nodded, forcing myself to maintain eye contact.

"Good," said Mom, looking down. "How long is this trip?"

"Five days," I replied. I tried not to let out a sigh of relief, though. Mom was in a foul mood.

"Go ahead then."

"What?"

She stared at me. "Are you deaf all of the sudden?"

"I can go?"

Her annoyed stare told me that yes, I could. I smiled, genuinely. "Thank you, Mom." I stood up to leave.

"One condition."

Crap. I should have expected this.

"You must finish all your summer homework before you leave. When will you be back?"

"The twenty-second, I believe."

"Good. Your dad is coming back that day, too. You may leave now." Mom had now begun writing on some sheet of people.

"Thanks, Mom." I left her office, closing the door quietly. Then I let out a sigh. Thank goodness it was just summer homework. If it'd been anything more, I'd be screwed.

"Goodies for you, Rika, getting all that you want," a small, annoyed voice said. Kimiko was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and a frown on her face. She glanced at me and then went back to staring out at the railing.

"Kimiko… nee-san," I said. "What is it?"

"Being in the top ten for your grade apparently isn't enough," Kimiko replied. "No, you must be in the top five. Oh, I take that back! Top three. Geez." She scowled, getting off the wall and tromping back towards the bedrooms.

"Onee-san," I called after her. She wasn't making any sense at all, but she refused to say anything else, dragging me into her room then to the bathroom. "Onee-san, what is it?"

She closed the bathroom door staring straight at me. "Lucky you, Rika. She actually _cares."_

"What do you mean? Lucky you, more like it. She doesn't bother you about your grades, does she?"

"Exactly! It's like she doesn't expect anything from me! I was ranked in the forties this time-"

"That's good," I said eagerly.

She silenced me with a glare. "Forties, Rika! Would Mom ever let your exam scores fall to the forties?"

"Uh, no."

"Exactly! She doesn't care about me! She doesn't care what grades I get! You get nineties on all your tests, right? She doesn't bother you about that. But when you get an eighty or seventy, she goes and yells at you."

"Isn't that bad?"

"Oh shut up and let me rant!" Kimiko screeched at me. "When I get eighties, she doesn't say anything. Seventies, nothing. Sixties, nothing. I've even gotten in the single digits, and she has _never_ said a word to me about it! She doesn't ask me about school, about my job, about my _life._ She. Doesn't. Care. But she frets all over you. I could get kidnapped and she could care less. In fact, if I did get kidnapped, I wouldn't be surprised if she refused to pay the ransom!"

"That's not true, Onee-san!" I grabbed her sleeve. "Mom does care about you! You're her daughter!"

"Sure, sure," Kimiko rolled her eyes. "Daughter, daughter. Ha! What a joke. You don't know a thing about how screwy our family actually is."

"What? Kimiko-"

"You know what happened to Aunt? She got pregnant while still in college," Kimiko said with narrow eyes. "College! Ridiculous, right?"

"What? But if that were true, wouldn't we have a cousin?"

She stared at me and then sighed. "She's an idiot."

"Who is?"

"Mom," she replied. "She should tell you."

"Can't you just tell me?" I asked.

Kimiko shook her head. "She'd know if I did. God, she's so annoying. I should move out of here. Maybe I will. I don't even need half the crap that's in my room. Ugh." She pushed me to the side and reached for the doorknob. Then she stopped and turned to me. Grabbing my shoulder, she pulled me close, whispering into my ear, "It has something to do with Aunt, Kurosawa Raiden, and me."

Then she left.

Kurosawa Raiden. It was that name again. Who was that? I dashed back to my room and grabbed my phone and red notebook. Okay, first I should email Mitsukuni that I can go on the trip. And second, let's do some research. Maybe I can find out what this Raiden guy has to do with my family.

* * *

><p>I spent the next day working desperately on my homework. I hadn't started at all, so there was quite the amount to do. And, for some reason, Otsu and Hirase had strangely disappeared without a word. I asked Azumi about it, but she just shook her head and stayed silent. I packed that night. The day after, I finished up the rest of my homework with tremendous relief.<p>

We left in the afternoon, taking the Haninozuka private jet to the nearest airport, then riding a car for an hour to reach the small town. When we arrived, it was already evening. The car drove slowly through the streets, giving us a good look of the place.

"Wow!" I pressed up against the window. The town was made of quaint, little houses and stores. There were several people and bicyclists on the streets. Up ahead, I could see the mountain, and the dojo, which was just a small square on top. It wasn't very impressive, but it still towered above the town. It was so different from the city.

"Like it?" Mitsukuni asked. I glanced at him and nodded.

"It looks so nice and cute," I replied. "And… refreshing."

The sleek, black car we were in pulled up towards a house at the very base of the mountain. I could see the staircase that led up to the mountaintop just to the left.

"We're here!" Mitsukuni declared excitedly. He leaned over and shook Satoshi's shoulder, who was asleep against Yasuchika. It was an adorable sight. The two of them were so cute together!

We piled out of the car, as two butlers exited the house.

"Welcome, young master Haninozuka," the butlers said, bowing. "The younger Haninozuka, the two Morinozukas." They bowed at each one, then went and unloaded our luggage.

"Inao-san," Mitsukuni said, pulling me up to the butlers. "This is Hayashi Rika. She'll be staying with us for the next five days."

The two bowed. "A pleasure to meet you, Hayashi-sama."

"Ah, please take care of me," I said, bowing back politely.

We entered the house, taking off our shoes. It wasn't very big, with just one floor, two bathrooms, and several bedrooms. The floor was covered by tatami mats, as we walked through the living room containing a kotatsu, seat cushions, a TV, and a filled bookshelf.

"Your room, Hayashi-sama," the butler, Inao, said, gesturing to a sliding door.

I nodded, smiling. "Thanks." Then I stepped into the room. The floor was bare, with a closet at the side.

"Are you alright with sleeping on a futon, Rika?" Mitsukuni asked, popping his head into the room. I was still trying to take in the bareness of the room. There was light filtering in through the paper wall across from the door, and my suitcase on the floor, but that was it.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. Then I smiled. "This will be fun! I've never slept on a futon before!" I followed Mitsukuni out of the room. "So what are we going to do?"

"Well, we came here to train," Mitsukuni replied. "Do you want to train with us?"

"Martial arts? Of course!" I grinned, starting to feel more and more grinned back. We began walking through the hallway back to the living room.

"Okay! We'll be starting tomorrow, so be prepared to wake up early. Oh, and we'll have to go up those steps."

"Yeah, I saw." I nodded eagerly.

"Are you sure you…"

"It's fine, Mitsukuni! I've trained in martial arts before! Besides, the mountain isn't that big, right?"

Mitsukuni paused and then shrugged.

"It's okay! We'll see tomorrow," I said.

"Let's eat dinner then," Mitsukuni said with a smile. We settled down at the kotatsu, which already had platters of food spread out. Mori, Satoshi, and Chika joined us quickly. It was a simple, hearty meal. Yes. Finally, a chance to sharpen my martial arts skills!

* * *

><p>I had to wake up at seven-thirty in the morning. It wasn't that bad since I wake up earlier for school, but I was still sleepy as I ate breakfast.<p>

"Rika, you don't have a gi right?" Mitsukuni asked me. I shook my head. I'd still be able to learn, right? He grinned. "Here you go then!" He handed me a neatly folded, white gi.

Ohh! Being Mitsukuni-sized comes with benefits after all!

We each grabbed a backpack, filled up our water bottles, changed into training clothes, and then headed to the staircase.

I stared up at the steps that just went up and up and up.

"Let's go!" Mitsukuni said cheerfully. He began walking up the steps, slowly. What? He wasn't going to jog? The other three followed at a similar pace. Okay, then.

"Mori, are you going to practice your kendo?" I asked him. He nodded. "Satoshi-kun too?" I turned to the younger one.

He smiled and nodded. "Yup!"

"Are you guys learning from anyone?"

"I am!" Satoshi said, waving an arm in the air. "But Takashi-nii is going to be teaching! So is Mitsukuni-nii!"

"Wh-What?!" I gaped at the two older ones. "Mitsukuni, is that true?"

Mitsukuni glanced back and then nodded. "Yup! I'm teaching!"

"Wow! You're teaching a class?" I hopped up the few steps to reach him. He nodded again. "Let me learn from you!"

"Huh?" He blinked.

"I want to learn Haninozuka-style martial arts! And if it's taught by you, then even more!" I said. I'd always dreamt of sparring with Mitsukuni, or learning from him, or maybe teaching him. If I could get a chance to learn from Mitsukuni, that'd be great. There's no way I'd let the opportunity pass.

"Okay then," Mitsukuni said.

"Yay!" Then I turned to the younger Haninozuka. "What are you going to do then, Chika-chan?"

He frowned. "Practice by myself. I don't need to be taught by nii-san."

"That's cause Chika-chan is already really good, right?" I asked with a grin. His frown only seemed to deepen, and he looked away with slightly pink ears. Hehe, Chika's such a cute tsundere.

We arrived at the top of the mountain after about twenty minutes. I was out of air and was already sweating. Ahh, what a wimp I am. The others aren't even fazed!

The top of the mountain was grassy, dotted with the occasional tree, bush, and mountain flowers, with several buildings around. One was evidently the dojo. To its side was a smaller building, with a sink beside it, so it was probably the bathroom. However, there was another large building behind the dojo.

"There are two dojos here," Mitsukuni explained. "We'll be in the first one though." The other three headed towards the dojo in the back.

"What's in the other one?" I asked, as we entered.

The wooden floors were sparkling. And there were already plenty of people there, sitting and chatting.

"Same as this one, but a bit smaller," Mitsukuni replied, as he stepped forward. One person caught sight of Mitsukuni and leapt to his feet immediately.

"Everyone, Haninozuka-sensei is here!" the guy yelled. Everyone froze and was on their feet and straight, neat lines in an instance. Wow. That was incredible.

"Relax everyone," Mitsukuni said with a slightly strained grin. He glanced at the clock hanging on the far wall. "It's not eight yet, so everyone can relax until then." There seemed to be a quiet sigh from the group and people began to drift apart from the lines.

Mitsukuni turned to me. I hadn't moved from the entranceway.

"Come on, _Ri-chan,_" he called in a teasing way. I made a face but waded over to him carefully. Everyone here was a guy, and they were all much taller than me. Most of them were muscular. It was… kinda scary.

"You know, Mitsukuni," I said quietly. "I learned martial arts from only one person. Like, it was one-on-one tutoring kind of thing. Never a dojo thing like this."

Mitsukuni chuckled. "Then this will be new to you."

"Mm-hm!" I nodded, feeling the excitement return. "This is going to be great! Treat me well, _sensei._" I grinned.

"Okay, you can go stand over there," Mitsukuni said. He pointed at the front, a bit to the right. "Stay in the first row, where you can see. Oh, and put your backpack over there, against the wall." I ran off to do as he told then went to my spot, looking down awkwardly.

"Who's this, Sensei?" one guy asked, pointing at me.

"I'm Hayashi Rika," I said with a quick bow. "Please take care of me."

"She's my friend, and she's a good martial artist too!" Mitsukuni said with a smile.

"Ohh," a few people said.

"Sure she's just a friend?" one guy asked with a snicker. I blushed, staring at my feet with determination.

"Let's start then!" Mitsukuni clapped his hands together, and everyone was back in their lines. I had to take a step back to get in formation. "Stretch!"

* * *

><p>Three hours later, I collapsed onto the dojo floor, leaning against the wall. "Alright, Rika?" Mitsukuni asked, sitting down beside me.<p>

I nodded, chugging some more water down. "Yup! It feels nice, moving around like this. Besides, I learned stuff."

"Then, after we get lunch, wanna go see the town?" Mitsukuni said.

"Yeah! I'd love that!"

"Sensei!" one guy waved at Mitsukuni.

"Hm, you might want to go down first," said Mitsukuni, standing up. "Takashi should be done by now. Go find him and eat lunch. I'll be down soon!"

"Okay," I smiled as he went to the student. I grabbed my things and left the dojo, heading towards the second one.

"Ah, Rika-nee!" Satoshi waved at me from the bathroom, a towel around his neck. I dashed over.

Oh, my muscles are all wobbly. I'm going to be sore tomorrow, yippee. Man, I'm so wimpy, it's sad.

"Are you going to go down the mountain?" I asked.

"Yeah, we're all going down to eat lunch," Satoshi said. "We usually practice in the mornings, and then the rest of the day is ours."

"Oh, it's a good idea!" I smiled.

"Satoshi!" Chika came jogging over. "Ah, Rika-san. Taka-nii is coming."

"What about Mitsukuni-nii?" Satoshi asked.

"He'll be coming later," I said. "So he said to just go down and eat lunch first."

Satoshi smirked. "I see."

What? What is that smirk for? What?! I'm so confused! "Ah, nii-san!" Satoshi waved. Mori strolled easily to our sides. "Let's go down then!"

And down the mountain we go. I can't wait to see the town though! Ah, from here… I stopped at the very top step, taking in the gorgeous view.

The town was quite small compared to the vast green and yellow fields beyond it. There was one main road that stretched out past the horizon, and the occasional farm house that dotted the landscape. The wind was cool so high up, and fluffy white clouds were drifting lazily through the clear blue sky. Yes, this was definitely a refreshing trip!

"Rika-nee!" Satoshi shouted, already several steps down. "Come on!"

"Coming!" There was some delightful happiness inside of me, as I ran down the steps to join the three of them. It was sweet and light and filled me up with content. Yes. It felt like good things were going to happen.

* * *

><p><strong>Any guesses on what this family secret thing is? I've been dropping hints for like forever but they haven't been very obvious. Anywho, here's a big announcement: I'll be going on vacation in like two weeks.<strong>

**YAY! VACATION! :D It'll be for like 5 weeks though and I'll be out of the country. But no worries! I'll have access to wifi. However, I'll be busy, so I'm not too sure how often I'll be able to update. **

**So when I go on vacation, I'll probably go back to weekly updates. I'll tell you guys more as the date approaches! ^-^ But just so you guys know, you have 3 more chapters coming up (not including this one) before I leave!**

**Any opinions on the name switch? Does it fit well? Sound good? Should there be more Mori?**

**Thanks for reading! :D**


	39. One of the happiest days of my life!

**Thanks for all the follows and faves! And reviews are now over 300! :D Thank you all! I'll keep replies short cause I want you guys to hurry up and read!**

**Oh and thanks for all the vacation wishes. I'm not leaving just yet though, still got a week. XD Also, practically everyone who guessed on the secret got it right, or was close to it. You guys are too good, lol.**

** Tater. the. psycho. cat: **Hi! Yes! You're right! And you'll find out about the smirk in this chapter. Do you have any preferences on fluff or drama? Or angst? Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Farrafelpies: **Thank you! :) By the way, even more fluff in this chapter, lol.

**Hime1234:** Thank you! :D Yeah, Satoshi and Chika are adorable, right?

**AwakenedSecrets:** Lol, I probably will do a love triangle then. XD Thank you so much!

**RM Kox: **Thank you! Then you should hopefully enjoy this chapter! Oh but any opinions on drama?

**articwolfgirl347: **Yay! You're still here! :) Wow, I'm so surprised how most people have noticed the clues. Hehe, thank you!

**etzelg: **Hi! Thank you! Here's the chapter!

**kyoya3guest:** Lol, thank you! Maybe you'll think she's even cuter in this chapter. :D

**DreamRealm3: **You're right too. Fufufu, you'll see. By the way, please don't die from cuteness. I'd like to keep interactions with your robot to a minimum. ^-^ Thank you for the lovely review!

**Strawberry Neko:** You're right too! It is a bit formal, and very long compared to Honey. Thank you! For feedback and review! :)

**PhoenixOtaku:** Yesss! You're right! You even got how that guy was connected to them, which no one else did, lol. Thank you! :D

**bookluver100:** Hi! You're right too. And thank you for the feedback! Do you like fluff and/or drama?

**helpmewoofy11:** Hello there! The secret will be revealed whenever Rika learns about it, lol. Thank you for reading and the feedback! And do you like fluff and/or drama?

**Rabbit:** Thank you so much! You write such sweet and amazing reviews! ^-^ And you're right on the secret.

**manga lover girl: **Hi! Thank you for the review! :) What are your thoughts on fluff and drama?

**Lainey:** Hello! I don't know if you've caught up all the way here, but I saw your review! Thank you! :D Don't be shy!

**aaa17:** Thank you! Lol, here's the chapter!Hope you think it's awesome. :D

**DaPandaGirl: **Lol thanks for the feedback. It really helps me out when I'm writing! Thank you! :)

**A longer chapter than the ones before. I'm actually so excited for this chapter, and I had a lot of fun writing it. Warning on some cussing. I hope you all LOVE this chapter! :D**

* * *

><p>Mitsukuni was at least forty minutes late, and we had already started eating. He didn't mind, though, calmly sitting down with a grin to eat. After lunch, which was once again light, filling, and healthy, he went to his room to change.<p>

I'd already changed into a dress with a light pink skirt and white sleeveless top. My hair was down, falling loosely over my shoulders. Mitsukuni came out wearing brown shorts and a dark blue t-shirt with a sailboat and sea gulls on it. "Come on, Rika! Let's go see the town!"

"Okay!" I slapped a straw hat of mine on and followed him out the door. We started walking towards the town's core, passing other houses, apartments, and people. "Today's really nice, huh?"

"Yeah! It's warm but not hot," he replied.

"Do you guys come here often?"

"Usually once every year, but never very long," Mitsukuni said. "That dojo actually has its own sensei, but he always asks us to come visit and teach a bit."

"Wow. You really are famous," I said, grinning. He grinned back. It was always nice being with Mitsukuni. It was calming and relaxing. And there was always this strange sensation in me, deep inside. It was a feeling of safety, security, and reassurance too. Like, I just knew I'd be alright standing next to him.

Ah, if only he knew I liked him.

"We're here!" Mitsukuni said suddenly. I looked up. We were at an intersection, but there were several stores everywhere. "Come on, I want to show you this one place. It has the best cakes ever!" He grabbed my hand in the smoothest motion and led me into a nearby store.

It was a small store, with only a few tables and chairs and a counter displaying the cakes. But it was the cakes that were amazing. I rushed up to it, peering into the glass. "Wow! They're gorgeous!"

There were several cakes lined up with a few slices cut out of them, and they were all decorated in the prettiest fashion. Below were a few fruit pies and some pastries, looking just as professional and beautiful.

"Mitsu-kun!" an old man shuffled to the counter with a kind smile. "You're back!" He was a balding man, with a slightly stooped posture, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and gray shorts.

"Good afternoon, Oji-san!" Mitsukuni grinned, bowing. I hastily bowed too.

"Brought your girlfriend this time?" the old man asked teasingly, a twinkle in his gray eyes. I blushed and began shaking my head.

"No, we're just friends!" I said. "I'm Hayashi Rika."

"It's nice to meet one of Mitsu-kun's friends." He smiled warmly. "Here to try some of my cake?"

"Of course!" Mitsukuni beamed brightly. It wasn't like his Host Club smiles, where flowers drifted everywhere. It was heartfelt and honest. "Oji-san's cakes are the best!"

Eh… what about my cakes?

Mitsukuni turned to me. "Come on, Rika! Pick as many slices as you want! I'll treat you!"

"Are you sure?" I asked, glancing at the cakes. Oh, it wasn't that expensive actually. Mitsukuni nodded. "Then, can I have one of these pudding cake ones?"

"Oh, this is very popular with the young ones," Oji-san said, moving to the counter. "What about you, Mitsu-kun?"

"I want one of these new ones," Mitsukuni said, pointing at a chocolate one. "Oh! And this strawberry one, please!"

"Coming right up!"

Mitsukuni paid and then we took the separate plates over to eat. Considering how excited Mitsukuni looked, I knew the cake was going to be delicious.

"Itadakimasu," the two of us said at the same time. We glanced at each other and laughed.

The cake I'd chosen was very interesting. The bottom layer was some kind of chocolate crust, crunchy and faintly sweet and delicious. Above it was pudding and then a fluffy layer of yellow cake, and finally a whip cream topping. Together, it was just the right mix of moisture, sweetness, and texture.

"This… is… delicious!" I said with wide eyes. Mitsukuni was busy chewing but he nodded. Oji-san came over with a smile.

"Did you like it?" he asked.

"Yes! It's incredible!" I replied. "Not only do you make your cakes look beautiful, but they also taste really good!"

"Rika bakes cakes too!" said Mitsukuni, sounding proud. "Her cakes are really good."

"Can't compare with yours, Oji-san," I said with a grin.

"Thank you." He smiled. Then another customer came, and he went back behind the counter.

I'm so jealous. He's so good at this. Ahh, I want to… I want to be able to make pretty and yummy cakes like these. Why? How is he so good? I thought I was pretty good at the art of cake making but I guess not. And I'm not that good at decorating, that's for sure. I'm not exactly artistic.

"Want to try?" Mitsukuni pushed his slices over, then he took a bite out of my cake with his fork.

"Hey!" I said. He just grinned innocently at me, so I cut out a piece of the chocolate one for me.

The top was coated in a chocolate cream and had very small dark chocolate shavings. Below was a coffee-flavored cake layer, then a chocolate layer, and then another coffee one.

"Wow! I've never had cake that actually had coffee in it! Like the cake in tiramisu isn't made with coffee," I said.

And that's when I made up my mind. I finished up the rest of my slice, then stood up and went to the counter, just as the customer was leaving with a box. "Oji-san, please teach me!" I bowed.

"Hm?"

I looked up with pleading eyes. "Please, I would really like to learn from you!"

"The Hayashi in your name," he said slowly, "is it the same as the Hayashi Sweets?" I opened my mouth and then nodded.

He sighed. "I'm afraid I can't teach you then."

"Why not?" I asked, leaning forward.

"I'm not going to just give away my secrets to a big business like yours," he replied. He was resolute, arms crossed, and yet not rude or crass. "Hayashi Sweets is already strong enough, as is. It doesn't need an old timer's secrets."

"It's not about Hayashi Sweets. I really do love baking cakes, and-"

He shook his head. "No. I'm sorry."

I shut my mouth, hanging my head. "I understand. Sorry for troubling you." I headed back towards the table, but Mitsukuni had already finished his cake. I met his concerned gaze and shook my head slowly.

"Thank you," I said, quickly exiting the store. Mitsukuni came right out after me. I knew he was going to say something, so I went first. "I'm sorry. I hope things aren't hard between you and-"

"Rika," Mitsukuni said, stopping me with a hand wrapping around my wrist. I glanced at him, swallowing. I was trying to blink back tears. I'd never been rejected before. Damn my rich girl's life. I've always gotten what I wanted, so this was a shock to me. I had no idea how to react. "Rika, come here." He pulled me down a different street, away from the busier town center.

We stopped at a smaller alley, empty of other people.

"Sorry," I said, staring at the dirt beneath my feet.

Mitsukuni didn't say anything, instead reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. "Here, for you."

It was a hair clip, with a beautiful pink rose on it. I took it carefully. He was smiling. "Thank you, Mitsukuni. But… why'd you buy it?"

"Well since you don't have a bow now, I thought you could use something else," Mitsukuni replied with a kind smile. "I couldn't find a red rose, so I went for pink instead."

"It's beautiful. Thank you." I smiled. I unclipped it, pushed it up through my bangs, and then tried to clip it. But it hung limply there, barely doing its job. Mitsukuni chuckled and pulled the hair clip out of my hair.

"Let me try," he said, grinning as he slipped the clip through my bangs, pushing them away. "There! It suits you, Rika!"

I smiled. Damn it! Mitsukuni's too good at cheering me up!

"Hey, Rika," Mitsukuni said, maintaining an innocently curious expression. "Who do you like?"

Eh. What the… Where did… I could already feel the heat rushing into my cheeks. "Wh-What?"

Mitsukuni just grinned. "I heard you liked someone. So who is it?"

"Why should I tell you?" I asked. It's not like I can just outright say I like you.

"I'll tell you who I like, if you tell me who you like," Mitsukuni replied, taking a step closer. I took a step back instinctively. One step forward, one step back. Before I knew it, I was pressed up against the wall. Oh damn it! Not this position again!

"Why do you care?" I said, pouting and crossing my arms. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious!"

"That's stupid," I replied with a frown.

Mitsukuni kept up the grin. "But I wanna know, Rika! Come on. Tell me." He leaned closer, placing his arms on either side of me.

Damn you shojo mangas! Damn it all! Why? I can't tell him! But-But, he wants to know, so I might as well tell him, right? I mean, he should know that he's a possibility, right? But what if I get rejected? Oh wait, he likes someone? Oh fuck it. Who does he like? Me? Could it be me? Is it possible? Yes. It's got to be. But it could be someone else! It could always be someone else! But...argh!

"Rika, I'm waiting," Mitsukuni said, singsongly. "Come on. Tell me. What could you possibly lose?"

What could I possibly lose? You, as a friend! Maybe the whole Host Club even! No, it's too much of a risk. I can't do it!  
>"Come on." He leaned even closer. We were inches apart now. "I'm not moving until you tell me."<p>

Oh my God, he's blackmailing me. Physically! No, wait, it's not blackmail. It's a threat. Or is it blackmail? Oh who the hell cares anymore?!

I squeezed my eyes shut. "But-But, I can't!"

"Why not? Don't you want to know who I like?"

"Of course I do! But!" I shook my head vigorously, while chomping down on my bottom lip. I just couldn't do it.

"Rika," he said quietly. I could feel him inching closer. Oh no. I'm gonna pass out or something. Oh, that's brilliant! If I pass out, he'll have to take me back, and he can't ask me anymore! Mwahaha… only problem: I don't think I will faint.

Argh!

"Who do you like?" Mitsukuni asked. There was still that cheerfulness in his voice, but I could tell he really wanted to know. If Mitsukuni wasn't a freakishly strong martial artist, I would have flipped him over and fled by now.

I took a deep breath. I had to do it. There was no other choice. He'd pushed me to this point, and it really seemed like he wasn't going to back out anytime soon. Besides, at least I'd be able to get this off of me right? I would be able to know if this was an unrequited love or… mutual love.

Please make it mutual! Please!

I exhaled. Then I opened my eyes. Mitsukuni was smiling at me. "So, Rika? Are you going to tell me?"

"Y-" I stopped, swallowed, and took another deep breath. It was one word. One word. I could do this. "You!"

He seemed to freeze for a moment. I thought I would stop breathing. "Mitsu-"

"Close your eyes," he said quietly. He wasn't smiling anymore, but I thought I saw a twinkle in his eyes.

Oh no. What's he going to do? Am I going to close my eyes and open them to find him gone? Nooo that's even worse than being properly rejected!

"Close your eyes, Rika," he said again. I forced myself to breath in. Then I shut my eyes firmly.

It started out as a light pressure against my lips but then I could feel it. It was gentle, tender, and loving. There was something even sweet about it.

He was kissing me.

Oh my God! Mitsukuni is kissing me!

I could already feel him pulling away. No, that was way too short! So I kissed him back, hard. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. More, more. There seemed to be a fire igniting inside of me, burning from my chest and spreading out to my fingers and down to my toes. And he tasted like strawberries, or cake. Okay, maybe it wasn't strawberries or cake, but there was something sweet, fresh, and moist about it.

A kiss was strange. It felt kinda weird but good.

But, eventually, I found myself out of air, and the two of us broke apart at the same time. I tried not to gasp, but it was hard. And I was blushing, madly.

Mitsukuni's face was red too, but he was grinning. That was his answer. Oh, that was my first kiss! No wait, that wasn't exactly a kiss. It was more like… we had totally been making out.

Uwaa! How embarrassing! If my face could have gotten any redder, it did right then. But I met Mitsukuni's gaze and couldn't help but smile.

"Then," I said hesitantly.

"You," Mitsukuni said, stepping closer. "I like you, Rika, a lot."

I grinned, feeling that flaming happiness inside me strengthen. "I like you a lot, Mitsukuni."

"Oh yeah? I bet you I like you more," he said with a happy grin. Then he held out his hand. "Come on. I'll show you a few more places."

I took his hand, feeling like I couldn't be happier. "Okay!" We walked out of the alley and began down another street. "Oh, but!"

Mitsukuni glanced at me. "Hm?"

"Does that mean we're dating now?" I asked, trying hard not to blush again.

"Yeah!" he replied with a grin. He paused. "I mean, would you like to go out with me, Rika?"

A slow smile spread on my face. "I'd love to."

Finally, what I'd been wishing for since a long time ago, it had come true.

* * *

><p>We looked at a few more stores, hands linked the entire time. It didn't seem like much had changed, except for a constant bubbly feeling inside of me. And I kept staring at Mitsukuni, and whenever he caught me staring, I'd look away blushing like crazy. He'd just grin and turn away. But, I couldn't help but notice that his ears seemed redder than usual. I guess, we had both become more conscious of each other.<p>

We visited the only park in the town, which was in the middle of a neighborhood. Then we dropped by a bakery, bought some bread there, and wandered over to the local shrine to pay some respect. The town was truly very small. By the time we began walking back, we'd apparently already walked all across the town.

I wasn't even sure how much of the place I'd actually absorbed into my mind, since it was flooded with Mitsukuni. Pft, I felt like an idiot - a lovesick idiot.

We arrived at the house just in time for dinner. After dinner, Mitsukuni left the house once again, with Mori tagging along. The rest of us sat in the living room. Chika was reading a book, while Satoshi and I were watching TV.

After several silent moments, Chika closed his book and stood. "I'm going to take a bath first."

"Okay," Satoshi said. Then he glanced at me with a knowing smile. "Where'd you get that hair clip, Rika-nee?"

I flushed. "Mitsukuni gave it to me."

His smile widened. "I see, I see." Still grinning widely, he turned back to the TV. "Did anything happen between the two of you?"

I pulled my legs up to my chest, turning an even brighter red, as I said, "We're dating now."

"Congrats!" Satoshi said.

"Did you know this would happen?" I asked, as my curiosity beat down my embarrassment.

He just grinned for a moment. "Well, I could tell. Mitsukuni-nii was _really_ excited for this trip. He usually doesn't like coming that much, since he has to teach martial arts. But this time he kept talking about it."

Wow. I couldn't help the smile on my face.

"So how did it happen?" Satoshi asked, watching me with a curious stare. "Like did one of you confess?"

"We both did, but, um, Mitsukuni kinda forced the confession out of me," I replied sheepishly.

He stared at me for a second and then burst out laughing. "He did that? He really did that?" Satoshi said in between his laughter.

Chika came back with a towel around his neck. He stared at a Satoshi howling in laughter and a blushing me, and said, "What's going on?"

Satoshi sat up, finally calming down. "Rika-nee's dating Mitsukuni-nii," he replied with a grin.

Chika glanced at me, looking a bit surprised. "Really?"

"Please take care of me from now on," I said, bowing to both of them.

"Take care of us too!" Satoshi jumped to his feet and bowed, pulling Chika down with him. "I'm going next then!" He practically skipped out of the living room. Chika sat down with a sigh and returned to his reading.

I smiled, rocking myself back and forth. "Hey, Chika-chan, if you want, you can call me Rika-nee too!"

He stared at me, and then said with a look of determination, "No." I couldn't help giggle at the response. He turned back to his book huffily.

"Then you can at least drop the honorific," I said.

"N-No way! Just cause you're da-dating nii-san now," Chika stammered, as a light pink flushed his cheeks. He shook his head, while I grinned. Chika was way too much fun to tease.

Today was definitely one of the happiest days of my life thus far.

* * *

><p>I couldn't sleep. It had nothing to do with the futon. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that easy to sleep on the hard, bare floor when I was used to a soft mattress. Damn my rich girl's life, again!<p>

I rolled over to my side, bringing Hiro-chan with me. It wasn't just the futon, though. I kept replaying the day's events over and over again in my mind. More specifically, the afternoon's events. And, it was driving me crazy.

I sat up with a sigh, staring into the darkness. Then I picked Hiro-chan up and stepped quietly out of my room.

Wait, should I bring a pillow with me?

I snatched my pillow up and then went down the hall to Mitsukuni's room. He'd pointed it out to me on the first day and told me that if I ever needed anything I could find him. I slid the door open as subtly as possible and slipped in.

Each room was the same: plain, small, and empty. Mitsukuni's suitcase was off to the side, and he was sleeping on the futon, clutching Usa-chan to his chest.

Hehe, I wonder if I'm going to be murdered for disrupting his sleep. Oh, what the heck. I'm his girlfriend. Oh. I'm his girlfriend. Wow! Holy crap! That sounds so nice. I went to his right side, dropped the pillow next to his, and then slid under the blanket.

Mitsukuni stirred a bit, rolling onto his back and making room for me. I snuggled in further, feeling the warmth radiating from him. I closed my eyes, relaxing. Yeah, I could definitely fall asleep here, no matter how hard the ground was.

"Rika?"

What? I blinked. I'd just been on the verge of falling asleep. Wasn't Mitsukuni asleep? "What is it?" I asked in a whisper.

"Whatcha doing here?" he said sleepily. I smiled. His tired voice was adorable. It was deeper than usual, and almost husky.

"Can't sleep," I replied.

"Hm." He turned onto his side, facing me. I could just barely make out the outline of his eyes in the darkness. "Rika, if you want to know anything about me, just ask. I'll tell you."

"Really? Right now?" I said, as the excitement over this opportunity woke me up.

"Um… sure," Mitsukuni replied.

"Okay, then where did you go for elementary and middle school?" I asked. I shifted a bit to get myself extra comfortable. There were lots of things I wanted to know.

"Ouran," he said.

"For every year?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then, tell me about your family!"

"Well, there's Yasuchika. And my dad, who really, uh, dotes on me. He likes eating snacks and trying out new foods. And then my mom is a really nice, pretty lady."

What? Is this where that daughter-in-law versus mother-in-law thing begins? Nooo, I don't want that to happen! Oh, crap. Where did my mind go? It's not like I'm marrying Mitsukuni-

"Rika?"

"Sorry," I said. "Keep going."

"You should meet her sometime, Rika."

"I'd love to. Oh, you should meet my dad too." I said, almost absentmindedly. I thought I felt him tense up next to me, so I continued on. "Don't worry. He's more the Tamaki-type than the… uh… I don't know. He gets the most outrageous ideas that never work, but most of the family power is actually in my mom's hands."

"Uh, your mom is…"

"Scary. I know."

"What are we going to do about it?" Mitsukuni asked.

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see. "I should be able to talk her out of it. Besides, if it's the Haninozuka family…" I stopped. Well, the only way she'd approve of it is if we got married, right? No, I can't say that!

"Anyway, Mitsukuni," I said. "Can you just tell me some basic stuff? Oh, like, when's your birthday?"

"February 29th! And I like pink, which you probably already know, and sweets. And any cake that you bake, Rika." Mitsukuni replied. I felt him move, scooting closer to me. "I like my friends and my family. I like the Host Club and Ouran a lot. I like Japan. Oh, I like books too. I don't watch a lot of TV, but I like watching movies. And I don't know a lot about manga and anime, but if you like it, then I like it too."

I smiled.

"Ah, but do you know what I like the most?" Mitsukuni asked.

"Cake?" I suggested.

"No," he said, as a mischievous tone crept in. "I like you the most, Rika."

It was dark. I was tired. But my face still flushed, burning with a fiery stubbornness that wouldn't go away. "Mi-Mitsukuni!" He giggled, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close.

"What? It's true," he replied.

I rested my head against his chest. One… Two… Three.

Holy smokes! If this were a manga, there'd be steam coming out of my head right now. Who knew Mitsukuni could be such a good flirt?

"Anything else, Rika?" Mitsukuni asked.

"What do you not like?" I replied.

"Hm… Bitter foods, and some sour foods. I don't like taking medicine, and I don't like not being able to eat sweets or cake. I don't like seeing people get hurt, especially people that I like. I don't really like scary stories either."

"But you were perfectly fine in the haunted house!"

He chuckled. "That's different, though! I know those things can't hurt me. But a story makes me think that something might happen to me or someone else. I dunno why but it's just different. And, uh, I don't like it when people lie or when people pretend to be someone they're not. Or people who use others to get what they want. Or bullies, or any mean people in general."

Wouldn't that mean he doesn't like me? Since I pretend to be all perfect and stuff. "But I pretend, Mitsukuni."

"Yours is different, though. You do it to make your mom happy right?"

"I wouldn't say make her happy, more like live up to her expectations."

"Hm, but I think it's different," Mitsukuni said. "You're doing it for someone else, not for your own benefit. Anything else?"

I racked my brain for more questions. "Oh yeah, uh… why, um, do you li-like me? Like, why me? There's so many other better girls out there. Prettier, smarter, nicer-"

"There aren't so many other better girls out there," Mitsukuni replied quickly, pulling away just a bit so that I could make out his face in the darkness. He seemed pretty serious about what he was saying. "To me, you're the best, Rika. You're nice, you're smart, and you're pretty. Plus, you're strong. You put others before yourself. You're positive, too. Optimistic, and you like books and martial arts. You're different than those 'better girls.' You don't care that much about your appearance, right?"

I snorted. "Are you kidding me? When I'm around you, I can't help but check my appearance at least twice."

"Really?" Mitsukuni giggled. "Well, you're fun to be around. You're considerate. And you have a pretty smile."

"Why thank you," I replied, grinning. How often do you get to hear about why someone likes you?

"Then why do you like me?"

"You're really nice and attentive. You listen and care. It doesn't hurt that I've heard about you for much of my life, or that you're a good martial artist," I said. "And, uh, you're c-cute."

Boom! There goes more steam from my head.

"Cute?" Mitsukuni giggled.

"Well, I like cute guys so… th-that's a compliment," I mumbled. "And you're gentle. You make me feel safe. It's like, I know that if I'm with you, things will be okay."

"Thanks, Rika," Mitsukuni said, taking one of my hands in his. "I'm tired, so if you have any more questions, can you ask them in the morning?"

"Of course," I replied easily, relaxing. "Then, good night." I closed my eyes again.

"Good night, Rika," he said, and I swore I could hear his smile.

* * *

><p><strong>So? SO?! What did you think? Honey wasn't too out of character right? Did you like it? Please tell me what you think! I really want to hear your thoughts on this one! Write a review, drop a PM. Anything! Was it fluff overdose? Or not enough? Do you think it was realistic? What do you think of the kiss? Good? Weird? Bad? Strange way of describing it? <strong>

**I personally thought it was a good transition. Like, right after the confession, it felt like their relationship got better. Like it felt right... Not sure if that makes sense. Basically, they weren't as awkward around each other cause they know the other's feelings. Any one agree with me on this? If you disagree, please tell me!**

**By the way, this is what I consider to be the climax of their relationship. So, you guys can probably expect another 40 chapters... **

**Thanks for reading!**


	40. Honey's side of the story

**Wow. Chapter 40! A good number for this special chapter! Thank you for all the new follows and faves! :)**

**helpmewoofy11: **Sweet! Thank you for the feedback! :D And for reviewing!

**Jewelsy426: **Lol, I'm glad you're still reading! Yeah, the taste like cake thing fit very well actually. Thank you for the review! :)

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**So general announcement: That stuff that Honey said last chapter is mostly non-canon, except for liking the color pink (probably) and liking cake. The rest I came up with, kinda dependent on his personality. But there's really a limit to how much I can think of! So if you guys have anything you think might be a part of Honey, please tell me! Also, please don't get mad if I don't use anything you suggest. I really appreciate everything you write to me. So thank you!**

**Also this is a special chapter! It follows Honey, and it's in third person. It's just a peek into Honey's mind to know what he's thinking. It may seem a bit weird, especially the first part since it does a time skip. It's just a collection of Honey's opinion of Rika. After the first part, events happen like usual. Those horizontal lines thing mean a time skip. It's in chronological order, so yes, the first part starts off where Honey met Rika. I skipped most parts where you got a peek, like the gang's visit. Hopefully it makes sense. You'll know when you start reading. It's pretty long, maybe the longest chapter yet. Hope you like it! :)**

* * *

><p>The first word that came to Honey's mind when he met Rika was delicate. She seemed dainty at first, even carrying an umbrella as a shield against the sun. She was small too, and carried an air that felt like she needed to be protected. Even her tiny smile, characteristic of a lady from a prestigious family, seemed like it could break at any moment.<p>

At first, Honey thought she was just like all the other girls at Ouran. But then he met her gaze and his opinion changed. Her brown eyes were bright, with a strong will behind them, as if just daring him to test her. Yet, at the same time, they stared at him with intense respect, almost admiration. It was strange, since most people looked down at him. To most girls, he was just an adorable person to coo at. But it didn't seem that way for her.

Not to mention the way she acted. It was as if she were having a battle inside herself, switching abruptly from informal speech to formal and back again. Her distaste of being called princess and her immunity to Tamaki's flirting only added to Honey's interest. Who was she? Why was she like this? Honey couldn't help but feel curious. He wanted to know more.

Oh, and of course, her amazing cake baking skills astounded him. The very first cake he tried was absolutely delicious. The cake was light and fluffy, and the icing was just the right amount of sweet.

Then when Rika came over to visit, it was amazing watching her spar with Chika. Her eyes lit up with even more of that fiery determination, and it seemed like she was enjoying herself. It was a bit frightening to know that Rika had a side like this, but Honey knew that he could certainly accept it.

The secret she had that made her clam up instantly made Honey more intrigued. Fighting dirty? Maybe it had something to do with how she behaved. He wanted to know what it was. At the same time, he knew he couldn't just force it out of her. But, maybe, if they became closer, she would tell him.

* * *

><p>The scream pierced through his ears to his very heart. That sound, it couldn't be! He dashed towards the front door, yanking it open easily. There, on the driveway, was Rika dangling off the ground and struggling. There was a wild look of sheer panic and fear on her face as she kicked and fought.<p>

Honey sprinted down the driveway without another thought. He saw Rika slam her head backwards and then cringe in pain. That probably hadn't been the smartest move.

The maid had moved forward towards Rika, stretching a handkerchief out. There was no way Honey was going to let them take Rika away from him like that.

"Ri-chan! Duck!"

Honey launched himself off the ground as Rika's head dropped. His feet connected with the very surprised, bald man's face.

Honey didn't have to turn around to know that Mori had followed behind. Instead, he proceeded to punch the man several times before knocking him to the concrete. Soon enough, the security force came to capture the two.

That had been too close.

* * *

><p>Honey couldn't see them, but he could hear them bickering at the entrance.<p>

"I am not. I had business to attend to," Kyoya said.

"At five in the morning?" Rika replied.

"It means I had papers and other things to deal with."

"Yeah, there's something called putting it aside and going to sleep. Have you ever heard of procrastination, Kyoya? Maybe you should do some of that."

The Host Club came into view. Tamaki had an arm slung around Haruhi and was talking quickly with an excited glimmer in his eyes. The twins were, in turn, bothering Tamaki. Kyoya and Rika were still arguing.

"W-"

"Ri-chan!" Honey wasn't quite sure what that unsettling feeling inside him was. But it had compelled him to tackle Rika into a hug, and the two began to fall.

Uh-oh, Honey thought. He tightened his arms around her and then twisted his weight so that he ended up on the bottom. They landed, with him taking most of the fall. At least Rika would be alright.

"Ow," Rika said. Her knees and palms had hit the ground and she hovered above Honey.

Honey smiled, feeling accomplished somehow, then stuck his tongue out. Rika stared for a moment before blushing lightly.

Hm… somehow seeing her blush made him happy. What was this feeling inside him? Where was it coming from?

* * *

><p>They were splitting up. And Mori wanted to check out a store. It only seemed right that Honey go with Mori.<p>

But, he didn't want to go see that store. He'd rather stay with Rika. Honey closed his eyes and spun himself around briefly. Whoever he was staring at, he'd go with.

He found himself staring up at Takashi. "Ah!" Honey said. Darn! some quiet voice inside of him said. He sighed, knowing that he had to keep to his words. "Fine. I'll go with Takashi."

Mori chuckled very quietly. He could sense the inner turmoil within Honey. "It's fine, Mitsukuni, go with them."

Honey shook his head, determined to follow his own words. "Nah. I'll go with you. We can meet up later anyway. Bye you guys!" He waved at the rest of the Host Club and then dashed into the store with Mori.

As he followed his taller cousin through the aisles, a thought struck him. He might not be able to go with Rika, but someone - or something - else could.

"Mitsukuni," Mori said. He pointed at the counter.

Honey nodded. "Hang on." Then he bolted out of the store, holding Usa-chan out in front of him.

The bunny plushie hit Rika's back lightly. She immediately spun around, moving into a defensive position.

Oh, nice reflexes, Honey thought. He pushed Usa-chan into her arms. "Keep her for a while, will you, Rika? I think things might get busy in the shop and I don't want her to get lost or anything. Take good care of her! Bye!"

Then Honey ran back, feeling, rather strangely, relieved.

* * *

><p>Her hair was tied into two ponytails, with her red bow hanging on the right side. It was a very short black dress, and Honey could see her skinny legs. He tried not to blush at the sight, while secretly thanking the twins for selecting this outfit for her.<p>

"Ri-chan!"

Honey couldn't resist it. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, grinning. She looked so adorable, especially as her ears and cheeks turned pink.

"H-Honey!" Rika said. Then she shook her head, and the blush died down just a bit.

"Hey!" Honey replied as she turned around to face him. She smiled back. "Ri-chan's so cute like this!"

"I look like a little kid though," she said. She made a pouty face, puffing her cheeks up. It only made her look cuter. He giggled, poking her cheek. "See what I mean?"

"No! It's super cute!" Honey said.

"Thanks." Rika smiled. Her smiles were nice and warm and made him feel happy like no other smile could. He was starting to have a creeping suspicion on what this feeling was, and he wasn't sure what to do about it.

* * *

><p>Honey was returning to the Host Club room from the bathroom when he heard shouting coming from inside. It wasn't that peculiar to hear yelling from the Host Club, but he could distinctly hear a girl's voice.<p>

"-them get near!"

It sounded like Rika too. There were some other voices, but they were muffled by the wooden door. Honey opened the door and quickly slipped in.

"What are you guys doing?" Honey asked curiously.

There were spiders, everywhere. They were crawling on the couch, on the walls, and on the Host Club members themselves.

Rika was sitting on Mori's shoulder, arms latched tightly around his head. She turned around and spotted Honey. She was grimacing, and there was terror in those brown eyes of her. She was frightened. In fact, she looked more scared than she had during the kidnapping.

Honey did not like seeing Rika scared.

"Hikaru. Kaoru." Honey said, a shadow casting over his face. He didn't feel very happy. Usually he didn't mind the twins' antics, but not if it caused Rika to make those kinds of faces. "What are you guys doing?" He then began grabbing up the spiders. They weren't very pleasant to touch, but the sooner they were gone, the sooner Rika would be back to normal: smiling and happy.

"Help catch them, you guys," Haruhi said, doing the same. "You should put them back where you found them."

"Aw, come on. We were just having some fun," Hikaru said with a pout. But he soon joined his brother in collecting the spiders.

"Well you've gone overboard," Haruhi replied curtly, scooping spiders up easily.

"Oh my God!" Rika yelled. She jumped straight off of Mori's shoulder, landed on the arm of a couch, and then hopped behind Honey. "Mori! One's on Mori's shoulder!"

Mori plucked the spider up calmly and dropped it in the container. Honey turned around to Rika, who had her fists clenched and was shaking just a bit.

"I didn't know Rika-senpai would be afraid of spiders," Haruhi said.

"Yeah. Spiders. Spiders," Hikaru waved the capped container in front of Honey and Rika.

"Get it away from me!" Rika yelled, wrapping her arms around Honey and burying her face into his neck. "I HATE spiders!"

Honey blushed, stiffening slightly. If spiders would get Rika to do this, then maybe they weren't that bad.

"We'll take these back now," the twins said with a carefree grin as they exited the room.

"Ootori Kyoya," Rika grumbled looking up to glare at him. "HOW DARE YOU TELL THEM!?"

Kyoya smiled. "Tell them what?"

"Only you would know I hate spiders," Rika mumbled. "Stupid!"

Honey turned around with a bright smile, hoping to calm her down. "It's okay. They're all gone now."

"Yeah, but their presence is still there! Now I can't sit on anything! Or eat anything! Or do anything!" Her arms tightened around him. "I might as well go home!"

Hm, so maybe the twins' pranks really weren't that bad after all.

* * *

><p>"Would you rather go on a date with Taka-nii or go on a date with Mitsukuni-nii?" Satoshi asked. Rika seemed to freeze, looking perplexed and uncertain. He grinned. "It's okay. You pick first, Chika."<p>

"What?!" Chika blushed. "Wh-Why would I - no way! I wouldn't want to go on a date with either of them!"

"What? You have to pick! I'd go with Taka-nii of course. No offense, Mitsukuni-nii." Satoshi said, glancing quickly at Honey who smiled and shook his head. He already knew what the two youngsters would pick. But what about Rika? Would she pick Mori over him?

"Fine. Taka-nii then." Chika turned away.

Even though Honey'd expected this answer, it still hurt. Chika thought Honey was strange, and there wasn't much he could do about it. Honey noticed Rika staring at him in concern, so he turned to her and grinned. She smiled back, looking relieved.

"But Mori and Honey don't really have a choice," Rika said. The two nodded, as Satoshi grinned.

"Then I'll modify it! Taka-nii, would you rather eat cake or babysit a kid?" Satoshi asked.

"Babysit," Mori replied.

"Okay. Mitsukuni-nii's turn." Satoshi turned slightly to face Honey. "Would you rather be able to eat whatever cake whenever and wherever you want to or go on a date with Rika-nee?"

Honey froze. It would be nice to be able to eat cake whenever he wanted to, but a chance to go on a date with Rika? That didn't come often. In fact, would he ever get that kind of opportunity? Besides, he ate enough cake on a daily basis, and even his stomach had its limits.

But Rika was right there! Could he really answer that question? Honey looked down, frowning. Then he turned away from Rika, blushing, as he said, "The d-date."

"Your turn, Rika-nee!" Satoshi said, grinning brightly.

"Honey, of course," Rika replied easily. "It'd be really fun." Relief washed over Honey, but then another concern crept in. What if she was just saying that because he chose the date? What if she said that just so he wouldn't feel bad or embarrassed?

"Then you guys should go on a date!" Satoshi started bouncing on the floor. Rika glanced at Honey, catching his gaze. The two blushed at the same time. There was no way that was going to happen. There were too many obstacles in the way: the Host Club, their families, even themselves. Honey's growing feelings would just have to be tucked away. They'd fade away, eventually.

Luckily, Rika didn't think that way.

"Would you like to go on a date?" Rika asked in a nervous whisper.

That was the very first time Honey said yes to a question like that. And excitement and ecstasy accompanied him to sleep that night.

* * *

><p>"Mitsukuni," Rika said, staring at the hands in her lap. Honey turned towards her, waiting patiently. "Um. I… I'm engaged."<p>

"What?" Honey couldn't believe his ears, but he had to. Engaged? No. If that were true, then he'd have to give up. An engagement was an engagement. She'd be married off to someone else, and he didn't have a voice in this.

"I don't want to marry him, of course. It wasn't my choice. My mom forced it on me. A-And, I don't even like the guy," she said.

"What?" So maybe there was a chance, but Rika's mom was tough. Honey would just have to prepare himself.

"Mitsukuni. Please, help me." Rika's voice was quiet. She sounded miserable. Her hands tightened on her dress. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to…"

How could her mom do this to her? Did she know how much pain her daughter was in, thanks to her own actions?

"Okay. But-" Honey paused, racking his brain for ideas. Anything that might be able to cancel the engagement. An idea was forming. "Your mom isn't going to make your sister marry that guy right?"

"Yeah, she gave up after Kimiko's fight."

"Then…" He glanced at her, and their eyes met. Something seemed to pass between them, and Honey knew she understood.

"Uh, but I don't have a boyfriend," Rika said with a nervous smile, rubbing the back of her neck. "And it'd have to be someone Mom approved of. Someone like..."

Honey smiled. If things worked out the way he hoped, he could win double. Surely there was a way for him to get his feelings across. Surely the two of them could be together. If her feelings were like his, then they could get across any obstacles.

At least, that's what Honey thought.

"Thanks for everything else too," Rika said. The two of them stood by the park gates.

Honey raised a questioning eyebrow. He wasn't entirely sure what she meant. Everything else? He hadn't exactly done much for her. Rika grinned. "You're always here, and you're always helping me. It's… Just thanks! For everything you've done."

Then she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

Honey blushed, feeling the heat rushing to his face.

"Um, well. Bye then!" Rika said, waving.

"Bye." He waved back, dazed. He was shocked she'd do something like this. She hadn't come across as being so bold. He watched as she ran out of the gates toward the waiting vehicle.

Honey didn't have to win double. If things stayed like this, he wouldn't mind… too much.

* * *

><p>Rika was bringing the Haruhi cake today. Honey was so excited that he decided to go find her immediately. He wandered through the halls calmly towards Rika's classroom.<p>

"Let go!"

Was that Rika? Honey tilted his head, straining to hear more. He began wandering towards the source of the sound.

Honey's eyes widened as he came upon the scene. Rika was pressed up against the wall, with Funaki Minoru holding her left wrist tightly. Too tightly. Rika's face was contorted in pain.

"Funaki!"

"Rika!" Honey bolted to her side, shoving Minoru away with unrestrained strength.

"What the-" Minoru said, regaining his balance. He glared at Honey. "What do you think you're doing, Haninozuka?"

Honey's hand fell next to Rika's, and he wrapped his fingers very carefully around her injured wrist.

How dare he? He was just like those kidnappers, inflicting pain on her. No, he was even worse. At least those kidnappers hadn't tried to hurt her. Rage began burning inside Honey. If Rika hadn't been right next to him, if he hadn't been in the school… if he hadn't been told to never fight at full power. There were many things that restrained him, but he had, at that very moment, wanted to hurt Minoru badly. He wanted to see that same pain on Minoru's face.

"Mitsukuni." Rika's quiet whisper fought back the rage, just a bit. But still, Honey couldn't help wishing he could pummel the man to a pulp.

He let his hand drop lower to take her hand and squeezed reassuringly. Now wasn't the time. Her wrist needed to be attended to. "You alright?"

She nodded.

Was it enough? Was just seeing her smile daily enough? He already knew the answer.

* * *

><p>"H-Honey-senpai!"<p>

Honey stared at his cell phone. A strange number had called him, but the voice was rather familiar.

"Yes? Who is this?" Honey asked.

"Minami Chiyo! Rika's been kidnapped!"

_"What?"_ He froze, eyes widening. He was moving out of his bedroom even before Chiyo continued to speak.

"I just saw her! She-She got taken away in this white van!" Chiyo said before taking a deep breath. She seemed to be panting. "She was with this other guy. I already called her house, and… just do something!"

Mori spotted his cousin walking speedily through the halls, and he followed. "I'm going to Rika's house right now," Honey said. "Do you know what the van's license plate is?"

"I, uh, managed to get a picture. It's blurry but, um, I'm also walking to Rika-senpai's house right now. Well, running actually. Please wait!" Then she hung up.

Honey had to give it to her. She was being very calm for someone who had just witnessed a kidnapping. Plus, it wasn't too hard to notice Chiyo's feelings for Rika.

There were three green vans on Rika's driveway as Honey sprinted across the lawn. Standing in the middle, directing some black-clad men, was Rika's personal maid, Azumi.

"Azumi-san!" Honey yelled, aware that Mori had followed.

She turned. "What?" she said curtly.

"Please let me go! I'll bring Rika back!" Honey replied.

"Honey-senpai!"

Chiyo was barrelling down the sidewalk barefoot. In her hands were a pair of heeled sandals. "You have to go! Now! Before they get out of the city!"

"I know!" Honey said.

"You're the one who called?" Azumi asked Chiyo.

The girl nodded, holding out her cellphone. "The license plate. You can track it right? You can get Rika-senpai back, right?"

Azumi took the phone, then waved someone over. "We'll do everything we can, Minami-san. Rika-sama is our young mistress. We won't let her be taken so easily." She handed the phone to the black-clad man.

Chiyo seemed reassured but still worried. She glanced at Honey. "You'll go, right? Honey-senpai, you have to go!"

"Why?" Azumi asked.

"He's one of the greatest martial artists in the world!" Chiyo said. "Besides! Rika-senpai trusts him! You have to go!"

Honey nodded, staring into Azumi's sharp brown eyes. "Please, Azumi-san?"

She sighed. "Fine. But if you get yourself hurt, it's not on us."

"Takashi," Honey said, whirling to face his cousin. Mori just nodded. The man came back with the phone.

"We've notified the police and the city," the man said, returning the phone to Chiyo. "They're going to start shutting down the traffic lights and posting police everyone soon."

"Where was the van last sighted?" Azumi asked.

"Traveling down H street," the man replied.

"Take him with you," she said, gesturing to Honey. "He's responsible for his own safety. Make sure you come back with the young mistress. Do everything you can to keep her safe."

The man nodded. "Yes."

"Takashi's coming too," Honey said.

"Come on then," the man said.

"What about me?" Chiyo called after them.

"Go in the limo after them, if you really want to," Azumi replied. Honey wasn't listening anymore. He had to get to Rika as soon as possible. They piled into the first green van and sped off.

The Black Garlic Squad member received a notice from a police officer that the van had been spotted turning onto a smaller road.

"We'll be there soon," the man said. "Be prepared. If a gun is drawn, we won't be shielding either of you."

Honey nodded. He understood the risks. The van parked at the side of the road, and the majority of the members piled out.

"The white van should be coming down that road," the man said, pointing.

"Takashi, can you stop it?" Honey asked.

Mori nodded, then he walked out into the middle of the street.

"What is he doing? Has he gone mad?" one member said quietly. Honey crossed the street to stand on the sidewalk. There was one very simple way of reaching her.

The white van came streaking down the road. It honked, several times, and Honey could see the driver yelling. This was it.

The van came to a halt, and the driver opened the door. Honey caught a glimpse of the license plate and it matched the picture.

He reached over, grabbing the car door handle. Then he pulled.

The metal came apart with an ear-splitting screech. Honey cringed, but proceeded to yank the door off, tossing it to the sidewalk. Then he grabbed the closest kidnapper and began to beat the man up.

The other members came to Honey's side, but he didn't need them. This was for him to do. He was not going to let them take Rika away from him. There was already enough standing in his way, and he certainly didn't need kidnappers to be added to the list.

"Rika!" Honey yelled. He still hadn't seen her.

He continued to pull men out of the van, beating them up in the process. Punches here, kicks there. He dropped them on the sidewalk to be taken care of by the Squad members.

"Freeze!" a man stood partially in the van, pointing a gun at something in the back. Honey stopped anyway, as the man grabbed someone.

Rika came into view, gagged and blindfolded. Her hands and feet were tied too. How dare they… Rage began to boil inside Honey.

The man shoved the gun against Rika's cheek. "Don't move! Or I shoot!"

Then Rika began to shake her head furiously. Honey stared, unsure of what to do next. He was definitely not going to let Rika get shot. He didn't care what it took.

"What are you doing, you weirdo?" the man asked, pushed the gun further against Rika's cheek. She seemed to flinch, and the sight only added fuel to the growing fire in Honey. "Now. You, kid, back away." The man waved the gun vaguely at Honey, who began to slowly do as told. "Get out of the car. You guys are going to let me go without following, you hear me? Or I shoot her! Or I can shoot him!"

Him? Who was that? The man was pointing at another person in the back. The boy that Chiyo had mentioned. Who had Rika been with? Funaki Minoru? A gang member?

Rika shook her head again, and the blindfold slipped. Her bright brown eyes met his. She didn't seem too scared; there was more concern in her eyes than fear. Whoever had been kidnapped with Rika was someone she cared about. And she didn't want that person to get hurt.

She was trying to tell him something. She was going to do something. Honey nodded. He'd just have to trust her instincts.

She leaned forward, and then abruptly swung back. The man grunted, doubling over from whatever assault Rika had unleashed. _Bang!_ The man fired blindly, shooting the van floor.

Honey was jumping back onto the van as she fell.

_Bang!_

He wrapped an arm around her waist, while a foot swung up to kick the man in the chin.

This was the one. The boss of the kidnappers, the brain behind the scheme, the ringleader. This was the one who had put Rika in such a situation.

Honey's eyes narrowed, as he meted out a befitting punishment.

"Mmfgh!"

He glanced at Rika, who was watching his face with wide eyes. No, now wasn't the time to get revenge. He scooped her up and leapt out of the van. Whoever Rika had been with could be pulled out by the Squad.

He didn't want to let her go. He didn't want her to leave his sight. He didn't want to imagine what it'd be like if she disappeared. The first time they'd almost gotten her to the car. This time she'd gotten in the car. What would happen next? The third time, would she finally be taken away?

Honey didn't want to think about it. He'd just have to be prepared to fight whatever came his way.

* * *

><p>Honey had been quite excited for the waterpark. Considering how the Host Club's past water experiences had went, he was a bit anxious and hoped that nothing would go wrong. But this time, Rika was coming along.<p>

Ayako and Suzume, two recent but regular customers of his, were also there. Before he knew it, he'd been sucked up in playing with them.

What did Rika think? So much for trying to get her to notice his feelings. Honey sighed, as he wandered through the park in search for said girl. Cake and ice cream had arrived, and he thought she would like some.

Oddly, Kyoya couldn't be found either.

Honey could hear some voices up ahead. He sped up, just a bit.

"-sides, people are bound to ask questions." That was definitely Rika.

The spa popped up in Honey's view, before hidden by a few palm trees and a bathroom.

"So this is where you two are!" Honey grinned and began running toward the spa edge. "Come on, Rika! Cake and ice cream are here." He grabbed Rika's arm and pulled her out of the water. Why was she alone with Kyoya? And it seemed like they had been having some kind of serious conversation.

"Huh? Wait, what?" Rika asked. She stared at his bare chest and then quickly whipped her head away, blushing. "Mi-Mitsukuni, why are you shirtless too?"

"Too?" He glanced at Kyoya, who was sitting in the spa with a relaxed expression. And he was shirtless. Honey forced a smile. "You can't expect me to go swimming with a shirt on, Rika!"

Then he caught sight of what she was wearing. It wasn't that blue one piece but a red bikini. Honey blushed lightly. "Rika, when did you change?"

How had he not noticed? And, all along, Kyoya had been sitting in a spa with her in a bikini. He couldn't help but stare at her flat stomach.

"Gah, don't look at me!" Rika said, shoving her hands over Honey's eyes. "It's cold! I need a towel!" She dashed off and soon came back wrapped in a towel. "Why is there cake and ice cream in the first place?"

"I ordered some. Come on, Kyo-chan, don't you want some?" Honey's eyes met Kyoya's and he saw something new in them. Instead of the usual cool, calculating demeanor, Kyoya looked… irritated.

Honey took Rika's arm and pulled him towards her, wrapping one arm around her small shoulders.

Kyoya and Honey were like this for a moment, both gazing into the other's eyes. Honey wasn't going to back off. So what if the two of them shared a childhood? All Honey had to do was create new memories with Rika.

The tension slowly crept up, and Honey realized that this kind of situation couldn't be very comfortable for Rika. He broke eye contact.

"No thank you. I'm fine," Kyoya said a moment after.

"Okay then. Let's go, Rika." Honey took Rika's hand and began walking away.

* * *

><p>Honey hopped down the stone stairs two at a time. He'd told Rika to go ahead so that he could drop by the town.<p>

After sneaking around the house, he practically jogged through the streets. Where was that store? He stopped at a small clothes store. It was catered more for the young ladies and they also sold jewelry here too.

It's not like Rika would want something made of diamonds and gems anyway, Honey thought, as he entered the store.

"Welcome!" a young lady behind the counter called enthusiastically.

Honey bowed slightly. Then he drifted immediately to the jewelry section. He wanted to find something for Rika, something that could maybe replace her bow. Of course, nothing could ever really replace it. But something else in her hair might distract her a bit.

There were several hairclips on the counter, with flowers on it. There were several tropical colored hibiscus flowers, some lilies, and a few roses.

Honey picked up the pink rose. Where was a red one? Shouldn't they have a red rose?

"Ah, the red rose hair clips are all sold out," the girl said, coming up next to him with a smile. "Our rose hair clips are very popular."

Honey smiled. "I'll take this one then."

"Anything else?" the girl asked. Honey shook his head, and the two headed to the counter. "Okay! That'll be four hundred fifty yen."

It was cheap, almost too cheap.

"Who's it for?" the girl asked cheerfully as Honey handed her the money. "Your girlfriend?"

"I wish," Honey replied, grinning.

* * *

><p>"Rika, who do you like?"<p>

Pressing her like this against the wall, Honey began to doubt his decision. Should he really force the answer out of her? What if it wasn't him? Would she lie?

Honey kept his smile, though. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and he could see the battle within her. She was debating whether or not to tell him. Maybe, just a little more, and she'd tell him. She took a deep breath and then opened her eyes.

"So, Rika? Are you going to tell me?" Honey smiled brightly, hoping it was encouraging. If she said someone else's name, then he could finally give up. He could dust the feelings away and move on.

"Y-" Rika stopped. Honey wasn't sure if he'd heard right. What was that first sound she'd made? "You!"

Honey froze. He thought he would stop breathing. Had he heard right? Rika was watching him. She must be worried. "Mitsu-"

"Close your eyes," he said quietly. Rika just continued to stare at him, wide-eyed. She looked so scared, and he was the cause of it. "Close your eyes, Rika."

There was just one way to get rid of that fear. As she slid her eyes shut, he stepped forward and pressed his lips against hers.

This was his first kiss. It was strange yet pleasant. And she tasted sweet… like honey. Or maybe it was pudding from the cake she'd just eaten.

He began pulling away. What if she didn't like it? What if she got mad?

Then she began kissing him back. He felt her grab his shirt and pull him closer. He wasn't too sure how to react to this, but it was interesting to know that Rika had an aggressive side like this.

Yeah, he had made the right choice. Seeing that adorable, blushing, and happy face told him so.

What he'd been wishing for since a long time ago had finally come true.

* * *

><p><strong>What did you think? This chapter wasn't redundant, right? Was it good? Please tell me what you think! <strong>

**Thanks for reading! :D**


	41. 5 days aren't long enough!

**Back to weekly updates! Chapters will be longer though!**

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* * *

><p>We woke up at the same time as the day before, except I woke up with a grin. It was probably the first time I'd woken up feeling nothing but happiness and excitement.<p>

Ah! I know what I forgot to do! I paused in the middle of brushing my teeth, then continued on. I had to message Akane about this news. Before breakfast, I sent a quick email to Akane, telling her that Mitsukuni and I were actually dating now. It was early in the morning, so I didn't expect an answer for a few hours.

After breakfast, I struggled with the hairclip for a moment, before giving up. It just wouldn't stick in my hair. Besides, it wasn't like I could practice martial arts with a piece of metal in my hair.

We climbed up the mountain once again. We trained for three hours once again. This time, Mitsukuni and Mori stayed behind to answer some questions and make sure that everyone got out of the dojos, so I went down the mountain with the two younger ones. Today was a nice day, just a bit hotter than before. The sun beat down on us from a clear blue sky, and the cicadas were particularly loud.

I changed out of the gi into some tan short shorts that I'd bought from the mall before and a white t-shirt with a bright yellow smiley face on it. Then, I hung around the youngsters to wait for Mitsukuni and Mori to join us for lunch. I poked around the bookshelves. They had several novels, one cookbook, a dictionary, a few old textbooks, and some kind of computer manual.

At about twelve, Mitsukuni and Mori arrived, and we began eating.

* * *

><p><em>Bling!<em>

I plucked my phone off the ground - an email. I tensed, as I opened it.

_"From: Akane_

_Subject: Hi_

_Congrats! Thank goodness the two of you sorted it out yourself. What are you gonna do about your crazy mom? If you ever need help, just ask. I'll happily beat your mom up! ^^ Jk, anyway, who do you want me to tell? The whole gang? The whole town?"_

I smiled. Akane was so cute. Ah, but… crap. A dilemma.

"Rika, come on!"

I glanced up at Mitsukuni. "What? Where are we going?"

"The town!" he replied, grinning. He held out his hand. I took it, pulling myself to my feet.

"Why?" I asked as we left the house.

"You'll see." He had a knowing smile. Hm… I'll just assume it's a good surprise. I turned back to my screen.

Ah, it'll be better to just reply now.

_"Thanks! :) Dunno about mom. Lol, I know who to call if I ever need to beat someone up. I guess you should tell the whole gang."_

I tucked my phone into my pocket. "So, where are we going? I thought you showed me the entire town yesterday."

"I did," Mitsukuni replied with a smile.

After a while, the town center appeared. Then, Mitsukuni pulled up in front of a very familiar store.

"Uh." I stopped a few feet away from the store doors. Then I shook my head.

"Come on, Rika!" Mitsukuni said encouragingly. He tugged on my hand gently. "It's not often that Oji-san gets asked to be a teacher. I'm sure he's thought it over already."

"He thought it over yesterday, Mitsukuni," I replied. "He already said no. It's better not to bother him again."

He raised an eyebrow. "Just give it another shot."

I shook my head, staring at the concrete sidewalk right beneath Mitsukuni's feet.

"Rika, come on," he said. When I still didn't budge, he seemed to sigh. "Trust me, Rika. Oji-san will have thought about it again. He might have changed his mind. I think… the last time he had an apprentice was like years and years ago!"

"But…" I closed my mouth. "I don't know."

"Just try again," he said softly.

"Fine," I said with a sigh. Then I pushed the door open. The chimes above tinkled, signaling our entrance.

Oji-san once again came shuffling to the counter from behind. He smiled. "Ah, hello, Mitsu-kun, Hayashi-san!"

I dipped my head down a bit in a shallow bow. "H-Hello."

"Hello!" Mitsukuni replied cheerily. Then he squeezed my hand and gave me a reassuring smile. "Go on."

I frowned, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "Um, Oji-san, c-could you… maybe rethink about… te-teaching me?" I stared at Oji-san's wrinkled face.

He sighed. "I did think about what you asked yesterday."

I gulped. Here comes the rejection, again.

"You'll only be here for today and then three more days, right?" he asked. I nodded, determined to maintain eye contact and some amount of dignity. "Then I suppose it wouldn't be too bad."

"Huh?" I said.

Oji-san smiled. "I'll teach you, for the few days you're here. It means you won't be able to learn much though, you know?"

"Wa-Wait, really?" I leaned forward, gaping. "You'll teach me? Really?"

Oji-san nodded.

"Yes!" I jumped up in excitement and then turned to Mitsukuni. He was smiling. "Did you hear that? You heard that right? Yay! I get to learn from Oji-san!" I hugged Mitsukuni briefly.

Oji-san chuckled. "Do you want to start now?"

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded. "Come with me." Then he began walking into the backroom. I was about to follow when I remembered I was still holding Mitsukuni's hand.

"Ah, Mitsukuni," I said.

He let go of my hand. "Go on then."

I stared at his grinning face for a moment before smiling. "Okay. Thank you! See ya!" Then I dashed into the back.

* * *

><p>Oji-san's name was Asukida Yasuo. His wife had passed away just two years ago. And, apparently he'd learned his cake baking skills in France as an apprentice.<p>

He began by teaching me about decorating. Tips and tricks on icing, placement of decorations, and color balance. Then he showed me how he baked a chocolate cake, without telling me specifically what he was doing.

He mixed the cake batter by hand. That was one thing I noticed. I was always too lazy and just used an electric beater. I began picking up some of the things, and he let me bake and decorate one small cake. Several customers came, and I watched his interactions.

Before I knew it, the sun had begun to set.

"You should probably leave soon, Rika-san," Oji-san said with a smile. "But before you go, why don't you decorate this for me?"

He pulled some vanilla cakes out. "This cake is going to have two layers. How are you going to do it?"

My eyes widened as I grabbed the icing. Then I paused. "Are you sure, Oji-san? Are you going to sell this?"

"It's already sold," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "You're free to do whatever you want with it, but do take it seriously. It is going to someone else."

"Oh! Okay." I nodded and began icing as I'd learned from him.

I had learned the cake baking basics from a teacher when I was young. Mom and Dad had just thought it was good if I knew the process of baking a cake, since Hayashi Sweets was well known for its cakes.

Dad's and my sweet tooth, though, got me more interested in cakes. And, at some point that I couldn't specifically remember, I began baking original cakes. Some of the ones that Dad really _really_ liked - and passed Mom's approval - went to be sold at Hayashi Sweets.

But I guess neither of my parents thought there was more to the art of cake baking. There were lots of finer details and skills I'd never learned. And now I had the chance to.

The door chimes went off, playing its beautiful melody. "Hello!"

Hm, it seemed like a familiar voice, but I was too busy concentrating. I had to get this just… right.

"Done!" I said, staring at my work rather proudly.

"Go ahead and put it in that box then." Oji-san pointed as he headed towards the store front. I nodded and eagerly began doing as told. I slid the box shut with a satisfied feeling. Then I carried the box out of the backroom.

Oji-san nodded at me. "Give it to our customer, why don't you?" There was that glimmer in his eyes again, that speck of light that made him seem years younger.

The customer. The one who'd be eating my decorated cake. Well, it's not like I baked it, so it's okay. I handed the box across the counter to-

"Mitsukuni?!"

He grinned at me. "Yes?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"To get you, of course! Dinner's ready!" he replied, as he took the box out of my hands.

"Uh, but the cake!"

"What? It's mine now," he said, smiling mischievously.

"You're free to go, Rika-san," Oji-san said.

"Oh, okay." I nodded, hastily taking off the icing-stained apron and hat. "Can I come back tomorrow then?"

"Of course," Oji-san replied. "Thank you for your help today."

I bowed at him, properly this time. "And thank you for letting me learn from you!"

"Bye, Oji-san!" Mitsukuni waved, and the two of us headed out. I checked my watch as we walked down the streets.

"It's… almost eight?" I asked. Was my watch accurate? Maybe I'd pressed a button or something and reseted the time...

Mitsukuni nodded. "Yup. I told the others to eat first."

"What about you? Did you eat yet?"

"No, I'm waiting for you," he replied, grinning in that carefree way of his.

"What? Aren't you hungry?" I asked. "Why didn't you eat with the rest of them?"

Mitsukuni glanced at me and then said, "It's okay, Rika. Besides, aren't you hungry?"

I shook my head. "No. I had some cake." Then I sighed, before smiling. "You're a dummy, you know?"

He chuckled. "I know."

"Ah… um, how did you know Oji-san would rethink it?" I asked curiously, turning to him. "You knew he'd say yes, didn't you?"

Mitsukuni stared at me with innocent eyes. But there was amusement behind them. "I just know Oji-san well."

I'd had a whole afternoon to think it over. "You talked to him, didn't you? You persuaded him into teaching me."

"Why would I do that?" Mitsukuni replied, grinning.

"Uh, uh, cause…" I blushed at what I had wanted to say. Cause you love me, right? Like hell I can just say that! I turned an even deeper shade of red, looking away.

He giggled. "Why are you making a face like that?"

"A-Anyway! You definitely talked to him!" I said.

He just grinned. "Maaaybe," he said singsongly.

Mitsukuni could be lovable, obnoxious, adorable, _and_ infuriating all at the same time. Who knew.

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

After dinner, Honey opened the box to enjoy some cake. He'd asked Oji-san for a two-layered cake to eat. It was late, and even the butlers had retired into their rooms. But today was Honey's eat-all-you-want midnight cakefest and nothing was going to stop him from his cake. He cut a slice out for himself and dug in.

"Guya!"

Honey tensed, pausing with his fork hovering over the cake. That strange sound had come from Rika's room. He set the fork down, stood, and began edging towards the room.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Rika came storming out carrying Hiro-chan in her arms. She ran straight into Honey and instantly wrapped one arm around his neck.

"Spider!"

Honey pulled Rika closer, arms around her waist. Her feet were stamping the ground rapidly, as if they wanted to send her very far away. He chuckled. "It's okay. Spiders aren't very fast."

She relaxed, almost melting into him. "I know. But I hate spiders!"

"Do you want me to do something about it?" he asked.

She pulled back to see his face. "What?" Honey shrugged. "Can you get it out of my room then?"

The two crept up to the open door. Honey peered in but couldn't spot any eight-legged creature. "Where is it?" he asked, crouched at the doorway.

Rika was standing over him and she glanced in. Then she pointed. "Right there. See? It crawled over my futon too. Ugh. Almost got Hiro-chan." She squeezed the stuffed teddy bear to her chest.

"I don't see it."

"There, there! It's going towards the wall. See it?"

"Oh." His eyes caught on to the abrupt movement. He stood and walked over towards the small thing. "Should I just pick it up?"

"If you want to," she replied.

Honey scooped the spider up into his palms and then began heading towards the door. Rika bolted out of his way, going to stand in the corner of the living room as he passed. He opened the door and dropped the spider outside. It scurried away into the bushes.

"Do you know why you don't like spiders?" Honey asked curiously, approaching her.

Her hands grabbed his shoulders with surprising strength. Then she whirled him around and began pushing him down the hall. "Go wash your hands first!"

He chuckled, doing as told. When he came back, Rika was sitting at the kotatsu eating some cake with his fork. "So?" he prompted.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't. All those legs. And… ugh!" She shuddered. Then she stared at the fork in her hand. "Um… is this yours?"

He grabbed another fork from the kitchen and sat down next to her. "Did you make this?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I iced it though! And those fruit slices in between, I put those there!"

Honey giggled. "It's good."

"Why are you eating cake right now, though?" Rika asked.

"It's my eat-all-you-want cake fest!" Honey replied. "There's another cake in the fridge. Oji-san made it. Want some?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

><p>Chika dried his hands and was on his way back to his room when he heard noise from the living room. There was some light spilling into the hallway too.<p>

_What in the world…_ Chika thought, glancing in.

Honey and Rika were sitting at the kotatsu, with two large cakes in front of them. And they were both eating and chatting happily.

_It all makes sense now!_ Chika thought. T_he reason why Rika-san gets along so well with nii-san. It's because she's an alien too!_ His eyes narrowed, focusing on a teddy bear that was sitting next to Rika. _I bet that's her communicator to her mother ship._

Then he began walking back to his room. He didn't want to know what those cake-loving aliens would do to him.

* * *

><p><em>Bling<em>! A notification from Rika's phone told her she had a few unread emails.

_"Are you sure you want me to tell everyone? Goofy won't be too happy, you know. By the way, I've started watching Naruto. It's pretty good."_

Rika chewed on a strawberry. The email had been sent several hours ago. Akane had sent another one just an hour ago: _"Yoo hoo Rika. I still haven't told anyone. What did you say to Goofy when we visited anyway? He wasn't that happy when we left. Oh and I think I'll start reading Fullmetal Alchemist."_

Oh Akane, riddling her emails with otaku talk, Rika thought with a small smile. She began typing out her reply: "_Ok, so maybe don't tell Goofy. He wouldn't really want to know, right? And yes! You should totally totally read FMA! It's the best!"_

A second later, Akane's email lit up the phone's screen. "_Never mind, you should tell Goof. It's better that he knows the truth. Crush any leftover hope in his heart. I'm already on chapter 26."_

_"What? Crush any leftover hope in his heart? What do you mean? The two of us just agreed that we'd liked each other in middle school. And have you met Hughes, yet?"_ Rika sent the message quickly. Akane had better explain what she meant.

_"Stupid, he still likes you! But he has to move on. Maybe he won't be so mopey and droopy anymore. And yes, I've met Hughes! He's so funny! And his daughter's adorable."_

Rika sighed, biting her fork in thought.

"What's wrong?" Honey asked.

She glanced at him, stabbing the cake with her fork. "Do you think I should tell Ryota?"

"Tell him what?" he said.

"Um, that we're…" She looked away, blushing slightly.

"Yes," Honey replied. He stared at Rika, determined. If Ryota knew that the two of them were dating, then he should back off. "It's not good to keep it a secret, right?"

"Right…"

But crush his hope? What nonsense is that?! Well, it's always better to be honest. Plus he wouldn't like being the only one who didn't know, Rika thought. Then she wrote her reply. "_Tell him, Akane. And, yes! Elicia is so cute! Do you have a favorite character yet?"_

_"Okay. And no, not yet. There's a lot of lovable characters. ^^"_

The two then launched into a debate on FMA characters. A while later, Honey and Rika cleaned up the cake boxes. She stayed at the kitchen sink while he headed down the hallway.

"Hey, Mitsukuni," she said, following him into the bathroom.

He was brushing his teeth. "Yah?"

"The spider was on my futon," she said. He raised an eyebrow before starting to spit the toothpaste out.

After he'd rinsed his mouth, he looked up at her. "Meaning?" He was grinning though.

"I hate spiders," she replied as she grabbed her own toothbrush. "And I don't like going near things that they've been on. It's psychological and stupid."

"Okay!" he said with a short laugh.

Soon after, the two were tucked under Honey's thin covers. Honey couldn't help the smile. Maybe spiders weren't that terrible after all.

"Mitsukuni, are you afraid of anything?" Rika asked.

"Mm, afraid of losing my friends and family," he replied quietly, taking her hand. "And, like I said before, I don't like scary stories. They can scare me."

"Yeah, but it's nothing very concrete. Like… a fear of heights, or dogs, or cats, or rats, or spiders."

"Yeah, I guess not," Honey said. "Maybe I just haven't seen something that really scares me."

Rika frowned in the darkness. "That's not fair."

He giggled. "There's nothing wrong with being scared of something."

"You've got a heroic kind of fear, though. Anyway, good night."

"Good night."

As the two settled down next to each other, they both thought quietly: I_ can definitely get used to this._ Then they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

It was about the same as yesterday. Mitsukuni stayed behind, and Mori came with us down the mountain.

"I heard the news," Mori said quietly, as we went down the steps. I glanced at him and saw him smiling. "Congrats."

"Oh! Um, thanks," I replied with a sheepish smile.

"Please continue to take good care of Mitsukuni," Mori said. He nodded at me.

"Ah, um, please take care of me as well." I bowed.

"Rika-nee, what are you doing?" Satoshi asked, bounding down the steps from above gleefully. "I'm gonna get there first!"

"That idiot," Chika said before following his cousin. We were almost to the bottom.

"Rika-san," Mori said. "You can call me Takashi."

"Eh?" I turned my attention back to him. "Um, okay. T-Takashi…"

What the heck? He's my boyfriend's cousin. So why is his name so hard to pronounce?!

I mouthed his name several times, trying to get my tongue used to this new word. Mori just chuckled and patted my head lightly. Then he continued down the steps with his usual ease and calmness. What the heck. Is this a trait in the blood of the 'zukas?! An uncanny ability to kindly tease and annoy someone?!

With a sigh and a smile, I hurried to catch up.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Mitsukuni and I walked down the streets toward the dessert shop.<p>

"Oh! I have an idea today!" Mitsukuni said. "How about I bring dinner and the three of us eat?"  
>"Three of us?" I asked.<p>

"Me, you, and Oji-san! He's all by himself these days," he replied. "It'll be more convenient this way, right?"

"Is it convenient for you?"

"Yeah!" He grinned.

I shrugged, smiling. "Do what you want."

Well, that's exactly what Mitsukuni did. At about six-thirty, he arrived carrying three bentos. We ate dinner, and then he stayed and watched Oji-san and I bake.

"So, you really love cake, but you don't know how to bake one yourself?" I asked as I was beating the cake batter. "Wouldn't it be easier to learn how to bake and then be able to make whatever cake you want?"

Mitsukuni shrugged. "Yeah, but I've always been able to eat whatever cake I want to without having to bake anything."

"True," I said.

"Is that hard?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "I'm going to have buff arms after this!" I grinned when Mitsukuni made a face.

"Are you sure you two are just friends?" Oji-san asked, popping his head in from the store front.

"Ah, uh." I blushed, as my voice dropped drastically in volume. "Not anymore."

"What was that?" he said. He was smiling, though.

"We're dating now!" Mitsukuni replied, sounding almost proud.

Oji-san smiled. "I see. It's good to be young, huh?"

It was almost nine when we walked back. Mitsukuni had spent a great deal of the time here eating cake. The sky had darkened and any remaining streaks of sunlight gone. It was awfully cloudy today.

"It looks like it's gonna rain," I said.

"Mm, yeah."

And then it started to rain.

"Crap!" I yelled. We began running down the streets, easily grabbing the other's hand. It was light at first, just tapping playfully on our heads and shoulders. Then it began pouring.

"It's raining!" I said. Yup, I'm great at stating the obvious. I grinned though and saw Mitsukuni doing the same.

"We're almost there," he told me.

The two butlers met up with us at the house's yard, holding umbrellas above us. I glanced at Mitsukuni and saw his usually poofy blond hair flat and dripping water. I started giggling at the sight.

Mitsukuni stared at me and then grinned. "You're drenched, Rika!"

"So are you!" I replied.

Mori appeared from inside the house and dropped towels on both of our heads. "Get inside before you catch a cold," he said softly as he began quickly drying Mitsukuni's hair.

"I can do it myself, Takashi!" Mitsukuni protested.

I grinned, as I wrapped the towel around my wet hair. There was something warm about being with these guys. They were just so… warm and fluffy. Nothing like my family. Well, if Dad's around, things aren't too bad. But lately, our family has turned so hard and cold.

If only these five days could last longer...

* * *

><p>My alarm hadn't gone off.<p>

I rolled to my side, picking my phone up. What? It was already nine-thirty. I sighed, and then glanced over and confirmed Mitsukuni's absence.

What the heck… Why didn't he wake me up?

Then I noticed the paper by my pillow. It was Mitsukuni's handwriting: "_Good morning, Rika! ^-^ You don't have to come with us today for training. Since we'll be going back soon, you should go to Oji-san's place instead. You don't get to learn from him everyday! Oh, and please don't be mad at me! Love, Mitsukuni."_

I blushed at the note. Even his handwriting was cute. I reread the note before getting out of the futon with a yawn. I'd moved my futon into Mitsukuni's room, and nobody had said a thing about it.

Hehe.

I changed into some simple shorts and a lime green t-shirt with butterfly prints on it. There was breakfast waiting for me, and I wolfed it down quickly. Then I began the trek to the dessert store.

Isn't he worried I'll get lost? Not that I will, since I don't have a crappy sense of direction. That's what I was thinking when the butler Inao followed after me.

"I was instructed by Mitsukuni-sama to follow you to the store, in case you get lost," he said calmly.

He's very thorough…

* * *

><p>Mitsukuni dropped by at lunch, and he took me to a local restaurant to eat. Chika, Satoshi, and Mori - ah, no Takashi - were already there. It was a small, classic Japanese restaurant and the food was good.<p>

Then I went back to Oji-san's place to bake.

I didn't realize it was late until Mitsukuni showed up again. "Hello!" he said enthusiastically.

I smiled. "Hi."

"You're not mad, are you?" he asked.

"Not this again," I said with a quiet sigh. This time, I was making my own whipped cream. "I told you. I'm not. But next time, please tell me in advance." I scooped a bit of the whipped cream out with a spoon and licked some off.

"Want some?" I asked, holding the spoon to him. He grinned, taking it and licking it clean. "Is it good? What do you think?"

He nodded. "It's good!"

"Good. I think I'll use homemade whipped cream from now on then. There's a different taste to it, don't you think?" I said as I began spreading the cream on the tart.

"So what are you making?" Mitsukuni leaned over to get a better look.

"It's a berry fruit tart. The whipped cream will hold the fruits in place," I explained. "I didn't bake the pie part though."

He was silent for a moment, watching carefully. Then he said, "Tomorrow, do you want to train with us or with Oji-san?"

"So we'll be leaving the day after tomorrow?"

"Yeah. It takes a while to get back."

"Then…" I shrugged, setting the whipped cream bowl down and grabbing the fruits. "I want to go with you guys then. I can come back here after lunch, right?"

"Yeah. Okay."

* * *

><p>"Before you leave, Rika-chan," Oji-san said, waving me over to the counter. I walked to his side carefully.<p>

"What is it?"

"This is for you." He handed me a thin notebook. "It has most of my recipes in it. You can use them."

I stared at the dark brown book in my hands, and then began flipping through them. There were drawings of the cake designs, ingredient lists, and instructions. "Really?"

"I have it all in my head," he replied, tapping his temple with a smile. "You can take the recipes to your company, if you'd like to."

I shook my head. "No. I'll, uh, just bake these for my friends and family." I smiled at him. "Thank you."

He nodded.

There had to be something I could do for him. I fiddled with the pages of the book, staring at the tiled floor. "Um, Oji-san, would you like… would you accept… money?"

Oji-san sighed. "You rich people are all the same." I glanced up at him in confusion. He was smiling thoughtfully and staring out towards the street. "Did you think Mitsu-kun hasn't offered me money before?" He chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "I don't need money, Rika-chan. I earn enough to get by."

Of course. Mitsukuni would have offered money before. I wasn't the only one to think of this.

"Thank you for the offer, Rika-chan," Oji-san said, meeting my gaze. "If you're ever in the area, please visit me." He smiled warmly.

"Thank you!" I bowed deeply.

The door chimes twinkled as Mitsukuni entered, saying loudly, "Hello!"

After exchanging a few more words, we bid farewell to Oji-san and began walking back.

* * *

><p>And like that, five days had gone by. Well, if the days we'd left and arrived on were counted, it'd be more like seven days. But we didn't get to do anything on those days, except ride planes and cars.<p>

Azumi greeted me at the door with a smile. "Welcome home, Rika-sama!"

"I'm back," I replied.

"Rikaaaaa!"

Oh, crap. I forgot Dad was coming back today too. Oh dear.

He came charging down the stairs and had me in his arms in a second. "Oh, Rika! You're as adorable and gorgeous as I last saw you!"

"Thanks Dad," I said once he set me down.

My dad looked much older than my mom, even though there was only a two year age difference. White strands stuck out amongst his black hair, and he was balding quite visibly. Dad had dark gray eyes and a slightly long face. He was quite the eccentric guy. Yes, he was definitely the Tamaki-type.

"Are you going to bake me your special chocolate cake?" he asked with wide, excited eyes.

"No, I'm too tired right now," I replied.

His eyes widened. Noooo! Now he's turning on his puppy-eyes attack. "Dad!" I yelled, covering his eyes with my hand. "Not now."

"How was your trip, Rika?"

There are very few times when I'm happy to see my mom. Well, generally when Dad is around, I'm just a tad happy to see my mom.

"Mom," I said, heading towards her. "It was good. I had fun." I smiled.

"Good. I've scheduled the date. It'll be on the thirtieth," she replied, smiling pleasantly.

Ah, the way Mom greets me… I nodded. "Okay."

"Minoru-kun will come and pick you up. I'll be leaving early August." Mom walked up to me. "Stop making that face, Noboru. It's frightening."

"I'm sorry, Sayoko," Dad said, going to Mom's side. Then, abruptly, he squeezed her into a hug. "I'm just so excited! Look at our daughter! Isn't she the cutest thing?"

Mom sighed. "Yes, yes. I'm well aware."

"I'm going to my room," I said.

"Oh, wait a moment," Mom called behind me. I stopped at the base of the stairs. "We've been invited to a party by the Haninozuka's."

* * *

><p><strong>Phew! That was a long chapter huh? Well, be prepared for some very irregular updating times! :) It'll be weekly updating all the way until the story ends! Cause I doubt it'll last all the way until another summer. That'd be too exhausting.<strong>

**Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your summer! Or winter, depending on where you live. Please review! And tell me what you think! Sorry the review replies have been short these days. And thank youuuu very much for reading! :D**


	42. The new form of torture: dates

**Hey again! A week seems much longer than I last remembered... You know, there is a TON of One Piece stuff here. It's seriously everywhere! Chopper and Luffy, figurines, on candy, etc. And there's also a fair amount of Attack on Titan. It's always so exciting to see manga stuff being sold. ^-^ **

**Thank you for all the follows and faves! :)**

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**aaa17:** Okay, the Kyoya chapter will probably be in a few. Or scattered throughout, guess we'll have to see. ^-^ Thank you!

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**Karnevalfreak59:** Wow, 2?! That's crazy. :P Lol, who do you want to get rid of now? I'll see it gets done. Thanks for reviewing!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Yeah! The four 'Zuka kids are really fun, right? And don't worry about this ending anytime soon. Still a ways to go. ^-^ Thank you for the review!

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**AnimeBestie:** Omg. First of all: Thank you sooooo much! Your review was really cute and adorable and awesome! And I grinned and giggled! :D As for anime recommendations, how about Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun? That's a manga turned anime. Or Hori-san to Miyamura-kun, also a manga (called Horimiya) turned anime. Both super cute school romances! Plus the heroines are pretty non-cliche, which I love. Oh! And definitely Kimi ni Todoke. That is just sooo adorable and refreshing and feel-good and just amazing! (((o(*▽*)o))) If you want more, you should PM me, lol. And yes, Chiyo will return. Hehe, you're the first to mention who might be behind the kidnappings. （=´∇｀=）Good job. You're on the right track! Great Star Wars reference by the way. XD That was hilarious. And thanks for the emoticon comment! Those two emoticon are for you, lol. Aren't they cute? :D Now, before this gets as long as your review lol, thank you very much! :D Please review more often. I'd love to hear what you think. **  
><strong>

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**Tatobear666:** Hi! Thanks for reading! It's true, barely any Honey romantic stories. It's all Kyoya! :O Thank you for reviewing! :)

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**Kekeke, here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! :D**

* * *

><p>It wasn't raining. In fact, it was oppressively hot. The black dress I was wearing didn't help. Neither did the umbrella that I had in my hands. Aghh, at this rate, I was going to melt!<p>

Kimiko stood next to me, wearing her own black attire. She was staring at the grave in front of us with a solemn expression. It was always like this. Year after year, we'd always come back to this grave to pay our respects. Ever since I was born, I had spent this very day here in this cemetery paying respect towards a woman I'd never met before: Aunt Setsuko.

Mom had told me before that Aunt Setsuko had passed away a few months before I was born. She said that my aunt would have loved to see me born.

My parents, Kimiko, and I stood in front of the grave. Several Black Garlic Squad members and my parents' personal servants stood farther back.

Mom laid down a bouquet of red tulips and soft-yellow alstroemerias. The three of us stepped back as Mom spoke quietly to the grave. "Setsuko. It's been a year again. I'm still doing well, and my family is doing well too. The business is well. There's not much trouble these days. Mom is up there with you, isn't she? I hope it's nice up there. I hope you're happier up there."

Her voice drifted away.

Dad put his arm around Kimiko and me. "Today's always like this, huh?"

I nodded, watching Mom's back. She was always down and extremely reserved on this day. I wasn't even entirely sure how Aunt Setsuko had died. It had been some kind of car accident.

"Kimiko-nee," I said quietly. "What was Aunt Setsuko like?"

She was staring at the ground. She inhaled slowly, then let her breath out. "Aunty… was a very kind person. She-She was always smiling and...well, I don't have too many memories." Kimiko sighed. "I wish I did though." Her voice cracked.

I bit my lip. I wish I'd gotten to known Aunt too. She seemed like a very good person, maybe not as uptight as Mom was.

"Do you know, Rika," Kimiko said, "that if Aunt were still alive… things would be so different." I nodded. Definitely. I'd probably have cousins. Mom wouldn't be so busy all the time. Maybe Aunt was an awesome and chill person, and the two of us could get along well.

The three of us stepped up to the grave as Mom moved to the side.

"We're doing well, Setsuko-san," Dad said. "The business is especially doing well. You must have already heard about how we're going international, right? I bet you would have loved to see our very first store opening in America."

Kimiko nodded. "You always were interested in other countries."

I struggled for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I… I wish I'd been able to meet you, Aunt." Kimiko glanced at me, forcing a smile.

We had Aunt Setsuko's picture on the family altar, which was tucked away in the back of the house. I didn't visit that room often, but I knew Mom and even Kimiko did every once in a while.

After a few moments of silence, we climbed into the limo and rode back home.

My research on Kurosawa Raiden hadn't brought me much. He'd gone to the same university as Aunt and had been with her in the Book Club. He was the third child of a small business that had gone bankrupt several years ago. But that was it. Any information about the man now couldn't be found. Maybe Kyoya would know more about him.

Thank goodness air conditioning was invented, though. Why was today so hot? Summer was already coming to an end. School would be starting again. Hm… There was only a few more things to look forward to. And the only good thing was the party.

* * *

><p>The thirtieth came sooner than expected. I'd spent most of my days baking, trying to perfect the skills I'd learned from Oji-san and coming up with Takashi's cake. After his, I'd have to make Tamaki's, which would either be fun or painful.<p>

Mitsukuni came over almost everyday to try something that I've baked and to talk to me. He sometimes did his summer homework while I baked. On a few days, I went to his place instead and we practiced some martial arts. It was a good way to spend my time.

Dad stayed around too. He'd been gone from Japan for so long, working to set up an international chain, that he wasn't too keen on leaving soon. I baked him the special chocolate cake I always did. One where there was a layer of melted chocolate in between two rich chocolate cake layers. It was a cake that had to be kept warm or else the chocolate would harden.

Mom came to pester me in the kitchen at about one in the afternoon. I was busy spreading whipped cream on a fruit tart, which I'd recently learned how to bake. The next step would be fruit pies. That'd be fun.

"Rika," she said, standing by the island bar.

I glanced at her. "Yeah?"

"Don't you think you should start preparing for your date?" she asked.

Oh God. I'd been avoiding thinking about it, and I hadn't said a word of it to Mitsukuni. He wouldn't be mad right? Yeah, it's not like I had a choice over this.

I started plopping the berries onto the whipped cream. "When is he coming?"

"Three, Rika," Mom replied. "I thought you two could go watch a movie and then get dinner."

Goodness gracious, my _mom_ planned the date for me?

"Okay, let me finish these tarts," I said.

"Rika-"

"Do you want to try one?" I whirled to face her, holding a finished tart. "It's not too sweet."

Mom sighed. "If you will go and prepare-"

"Fine," I said, handing her the tart. Then I took off my apron. "I'm going." I grabbed the tray that the tarts were on and shoved it quickly into the fridge. I'd have to deal with them later. Most of what I baked was eaten by the servants of the house anyway.

"Hayashi Rika." Mom's rather sharp tone stopped me. I glanced back at her. "Did you just interrupt me _twice_?"

"Didn't you want me to hurry up and prepare?" I asked with an innocent face.

She sighed and then waved me away. "Yes, hurry along then."

I washed my hands in my bathroom and found my face was smeared with some whipped cream. I grinned. If only I could show up with whipped cream on my face… I bet that'd make Minoru even more pleasant.

Azumi knocked. "Rika-sama? May I come in?"

"For what?" I asked, opening the door. She was holding a few bottles in her hands. I raised an eyebrow at them.

"Preparation, Rika-sama," she said with a smile.

Oh no.

* * *

><p>My hair was washed more than once, brushed several times, and then some kind of perfume was stuck on me so I smelled like… flowers. Then Azumi did something else to my hair to make it shinier and smoother and softer. Then my eyebrows were plucked and I had to brush my teeth. Overall, it was a big pain in the butt.<p>

If this is what I have to go through every time I go on a date, then I would happily never go on a date again. Like, what the heck, I didn't do squat about my hair when I went out with Mitsukuni!

Azumi then began pulling out different dresses, asking me which one I liked. I shook my head at every one, just to be a bit stubborn.

_Bling!_

I grabbed my phone off my bed and found a message from Mitsukuni: _"Want to go see a movie today? :)"_

Are you kidding me?!

Why of all days, today? I sighed, as I began typing out my response.

"Rika-sama, how about this one?" Azumi asked, holding up the dress I'd bought from the mall. "Your mother said you looked very pretty wearing this one."

"I thought you were just talking about making me look cute," I replied wearily.

"Well, you can look cute _and_ pretty," Azumi said with a straight face.

I shook my head. "Sure. I'll wear it." I snatched the dress from her hands then went into the bathroom.

"It's already two-thirty, Rika-sama. Please don't take too long," she called from outside.

"I know," I said with barely masked annoyance.

Great, of all days, Mitsukuni invites me to go watch a movie when I have to go watch one with Minoru? Daaaaamn.

_"Sorry, I already have plans :(_" That was my response to his email.

I pulled the dress on. At least this dress was better than the frilly, bright pink ones that Azumi had been waving around.

"And try these shoes on, please, Rika-sama," Azumi said, placing a pair of black heels in front of me.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked. They weren't particularly tall heels, but they were at least two or three centimeters tall. "I can't wear heels."

"Your mother requested you do so," she replied. She gestured at them. "At least try them, please."

I sighed, stepping into the heels. They were pretty comfortable, actually, except my toes were being pinched just a bit. At least this was open-toed. I shook my head. "Do I have to?" I began walking around my room, trying it out. Well, most of the time I'd be sitting anyway.

"Please do," Azumi said with a nod of her head.

Ugh. As if this could get worse. Now, to wait for the torture to begin.

* * *

><p>He came wearing a crisp, white collared shirt and tan shorts. He smiled at me. "Good afternoon, Rika-san."<p>

I smiled back pleasantly. "Good afternoon, Funaki-san."

Mom's smile was the brightest of us all. "Have fun, you two."

The moment we were seated in his car, Minoru said, "Shouldn't you call me by my first name, Rika-san?"

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that, Funaki-san," I replied sweetly.

"You should be. Just try it out tonight," he said, sounding almost like he was a nice person.

Shoot me now. Just end it already!

"So what movie are we watching?" I asked.

"Ah, the new action one." He looked up. "Mm, the one with Haruka Teshu in it. Have you heard of it?" He glanced at me.

"Ohh." I nodded. "Yes, it's really popular right now, isn't it?"

He smirked. "It is."

What is with that arrogant smile? Ahh, let's think of positive things for now. I'm getting to watch a movie for free, one that I probably wouldn't be able to normally. And, um…

_Bling!_

I pulled my phone out of a white purse that Mom had shoved into my hands. It was an email from Mitsukuni: _"Aw that sucks. :("_

I felt Minoru lean towards me and I turned my phone's screen away, looking at him. "What?"

"It's not polite to be answering emails while on a date, you know," he replied, staring straight into my eyes.

"Let me just answer this one," I said. Without waiting for his reply, I began tapping out a response. _"Can we do something tomorrow instead?"_

"That was fast," Minoru said when I began tucking my phone away. I shrugged. Mitsukuni would just have to wait.

* * *

><p>The movie was pretty good, certainly better than staring at Minoru's face. We managed to talk briefly about the movie, discussing particular elements that we liked or disliked.<p>

The restaurant we arrived at was a fancy one for rich people like us. It was Italian, with several stories lit up by sparkling chandeliers.

We were escorted to a table in the back on the second floor. There was hardly anyone here, which was actually rather unsettling to me. The waiter set the menus on the table, bowed, and then walked briskly away.

I sighed as I unfolded the menu.

"Not enjoying yourself?" Minoru asked.

I glanced at him over the menu. Then I forced a smile. "I am. It's just a bit tiring."

He stared at me for a moment with a calculating gaze. Geez, it's not like he's Kyoya. He can't possibly know anything about me. He tilted his head with a knowing smile. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

I grinned brightly. "You just noticed?"

Ahahaha, crap. I said that. I seriously just said that. I shouldn't have said that. I just really really wanted to say that to his face. Oh no.

"You act as if you don't not like me, but you don't act as if you like me either," he replied, glancing out the window.

"What?" I asked. Not a word of that had made sense.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "What I mean is that you don't make it very obvious that you dislike me. If you don't like me, then why did you agree to this engagement in the first place?"

"I'm sorry? I never agreed to this engagement. My mother did," I said, trying my very best to remain polite.

"Really?" He smiled. "Well I agreed to this engagement myself."

"Why?"

The waiter came back with water for us and we quickly placed our orders. Now that the menus were out of the way, we were just facing each other.

"My dad showed me a picture of you," Minoru said. "You look like any other girl at Ouran."

"Why thank you," I replied. Fitting in was what I had been striving for.

"I thought we could get along, so I agreed."

What the hell. He agreed to getting married to some girl he's never met before just like that? Is he an idiot?!

Then Minoru started to chuckle. "You think I'm an idiot, right? Well it's not like I'd never met you before. You're in my last class, and you seemed like a nice girl. With an obnoxiously large red bow in your hair. What happened to that anyway?"

I ran a hand through my bare hair. Azumi had insisted that I kept my hair down. "It got cut in half and tossed in the pool."

"Bullies?"

I shrugged. "I doubt it."

"Anyway, if you don't like me, you could at least say so."

"Why would I do that?" I asked.

"Then I could know what to do to make you like me," he replied. "So? What can I do to make you like me?"

I stared at him with raised eyebrows. Is he kidding me? He stared right on back with a very calm gaze. Then I cleared my throat, thinking. "Okay, so… you like me?"

"I think you're interesting, and that we could make a good pair," Minoru said.

No. We do not make a good pair. We could never make a good pair.

"You know, you could start off with telling me what you're thinking right now," he said. "I can tell you're not very happy."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"Your eyes say it all." He shrugged. Oh yeah, like that's just so helpful. Come on! This isn't some novel where you can read every emotion through the eyes of-

"You don't believe me," he said. "You know, Rika-san, you display your emotions quite clearly."

"I do?"

He nodded, smiling in a lazy manner. "It's written all over your face."

I sighed. "Okay. Why should I try to like you?"

He blinked as if I was asking the most stupidest and strangest question. Then he said, "Because we're going to get married, of course."

"Uh, no, actually, we're not," I said, shaking my head stubbornly. "We are _not_ getting married."

"Cause you have a boyfriend? That Haninozuka?"

I nodded. "Plus, I just can't see myself with you. Why do I not like you? Well, your very first impression on me was an arrogant pretty boy who was used to getting everything he wants."

"Aren't you?"

"I am," I replied. "But, at least I don't manipulate my fiancee around."

He smirked. "See? We are getting married."

My eyes narrowed. "No. We aren't. I'm not letting it happen. I don't like your personality. I don't like how arrogant you act, how pushy you are, and how you seem to look down at me."

"I don't," he said, sitting up.

I shot him a sharp stare. "Let me continue. I don't like your _face_ either. I don't like your silly conditions involving the Chess Club or how you have made me suffer ridiculous things for this date!"

"What ridiculous things?"

"Getting myself all primped and ready," I said through gritted teeth. "You have hurt me, Funaki-san. You grabbed my wrist, and you twisted it. And, guess what? It _hurt._ You don't seem to trust anything I say. What can you do so that I like you? Nothing."

"Ouch," Minoru said with a small chuckle. Then the food arrived, steaming and looking absolutely delicious. "Okay, so maybe we started off on the wrong foot."

"No, we didn't," I replied. "You're who you are, and I just don't like who you are. That's that. We're not getting married."

"About the Chess Club, there's a tournament coming up."

Great, more crap to deal with that involves Minoru.

"You'll participate, won't you? You might not be one of the greatest, but you could certainly get far in the tournament," he said, taking a bite of his pasta.

"See? That's the arrogance. That's the looking down on." I pointed at him with my fork.

Suddenly, he laughed, just a bit. "I never expected Rika-san to be so… interesting! You're not like one of those Ouran ladies a bit!"

"In what way am I interesting? Just cause I'm insulting you?" I bit back, feeling annoyed. The last thing I needed was his interest. I'd rather I disgust and repulse him than intrigue him.

"You act all sweet and innocent," Minoru replied. "When inside you're actually a roaring tiger, aren't you?"

"I don't appreciate being compared to a tiger," I said, stabbing my pasta in a futile attempt to rein in my irritation.

"Does your precious boyfriend know about this side of you?" he asked.

I smirked. "What would you do if I said no? Blackmail me with that information?"

"Maybe."

"See? I hate conniving, blackmailing men!" I jabbed the air with my fork again. "They don't make good partners because you can't trust them completely."

"Aren't you friends with Ootori Kyoya? I've heard he's into blackmailing."

"I've known Kyoya long enough that _I_ have blackmailing material on him," I said. "Besides, Mitsukuni would never believe anything you say."

"Well, aren't you two sweet," he replied, eyes narrowed. A chill ran through me, and I didn't think it had anything to do with the strong air conditioning.

I turned my gaze back onto my pasta. "Funaki Cakes," I said, "does it really need an alliance with Hayashi Sweets? Do either companies really do?"

"Funaki Cakes isn't doing so well these days," Minoru replied. "Hayashi Sweets is definitely doing better. You guys are even expanding across seas."

"That's why I don't understand why we should be allying with you," I said.

"Old ties are hard to break," he said simply.

"What does that mean?"

"Our parents have history, Rika-san. Well? Are you going to call me by my first name or not?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not. And I would appreciate it if you'd call me by my last name instead. I never gave you permission to use my first name." I looked up into his eyes.

He smiled. "You're more interesting like this, Rika-san. If only I knew there was this side of you before. Then I wouldn't have pushed your buttons so much."

"So you know you're being a jerk," I said.

"Me? A jerk? No, that's just how I am."

Lord, I feel like I'm going in circles talking to this guy! I glanced at my watch. Let's see, there should be something else we can talk about. "What's this chess tournament?"

He smirked and launched into a lecture about it. He'd won first last year and was planning on being first again. Then he started talking about the judges and the brackets and how the whole thing ran.

At some point, we began discussing chess strategies and moves. I guess it wasn't bad to have something we shared in common. I checked my watch periodically. When I was full and it was getting late, I smiled genuinely.

I can go home!

* * *

><p>"I had a lovely evening with you, Rika-san," Minoru said, taking my hand and kissing it. "How about you?"<p>

"It was… lovely," I replied, forcing a smile.

"What do you really think it was?" He stepped closer. A hand picked up a strand of my hair.

"Terrible," I whispered. "And boring. And I definitely could have been having fun somewhere else."

"With who?"

"Mitsukuni," I said, smiling.

"You're just using him to annoy me, aren't you?" Minoru asked. He fingered my hair. I took his hand instead, just to keep him from touching my extremely clean hair. The moment his hand had lowered, I dropped it.

"I love Mitsukuni," I said. I stared straight into those hazel eyes. "More than I'll ever even possibly like you. More than I will ever hate you. More than anything."

He smirked. "We'll see about that. See you!" Then he skipped away into his car and was driven away.

I didn't want to go inside. I didn't want to face Mom, or Dad, or even Azumi. I didn't want to see any of their ugly faces who had pushed this crap onto me.

I crouched on the driveway, hugging my knees and rocking slightly back and forth. What should I do? What could I do? There had to be something that would stop this engagement. Something that could keep Minoru away.

"Rika!"

I glanced up. That voice sounded like heaven to me. Well, in general it did. Like angels singing or wind chimes ringing.

Mitsukuni was dashing across the lawn.

He stopped right in front of me and smiled. "What are you doing?" He held out a hand, and I took it.

"Moping," I replied. "And fretting over my stupid first world problems."

"First world problems?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"Like problems that only people well off would have. For example, I have a creepy fiancee that I hate and can't get rid of," I said. Then I forced a smile. There wasn't any point in worrying Mitsukuni about this.

And… I was much taller than him! Thanks to the heels, I towered a good few centimeters above him. Mitsukuni stared at me and then glanced down at my feet. "You're wearing heels?" He giggled. "You got taller."

"I did." I smiled.

"Uh." He paused, scratching the back of his head. "Um, I saw him."

"You did?"

"You two on the driveway," he said, waving a hand vaguely in the air. His eyes were wider than usual. And in the darkness, I couldn't quite make out his expressions. "Um." He looked down.

"What?" I asked, tightening the grip on his hand.

"You two were standing really close."

"Is that it?" I said.

He glanced up, biting his bottom lip. He looked worried. "Y-Yeah."

I grinned. "Really? Thank goodness. Don't worry. He was just being annoying as usual."

"Well, you could have stepped back," Mitsukuni said, pouting slightly. He still wouldn't quite meet my gaze. "And…"

"Are you jealous?" I asked. My grin widened, when I saw him blush. He ducked his head down, covering his eyes with his bangs. "Hey, Mitsukuni! Come on!" He shook his head. "What? Fine, I'll tell you. You remember when I was upset? And I told you it was cause I was jealous of you and the Host Club? Actually, I was jealous of that Hayakawa Ayako and how you got to spend time with her."

Mitsukuni chuckled. He looked up at me with a smile. Then he reached out and pulled me into a hug. "You're jealous of a guest? I'm jealous of your fiancee."

"Mm," I said, burying my head into him. He smelled like Mitsukuni. Sweet, fresh.

"You smell different, Rika," he said.

I giggled. "That's some perfume. You know, Mitsukuni, you make me feel warm and fuzzy. Like a good shojo romance manga."

Mitsukuni pulled back, laughing this time. "You're comparing me to manga?"

"What?" I said.

He shook his head. "So is that why you couldn't go watch a movie today?"

"Yeah. Mom planned this out, not me." I shrugged.

Mitsukuni's hand reached out and picked up a strand of my hair. "What happened?" he said with a short laugh. "Your hair seems so… flat and smooth now."

"Yeah, courtesy of Azumi," I replied, grinning.

"Rika-sama!"

Speak of the Devil! Azumi was waving from the doorway. "What are you doing? Come on in."

"I think I have to go," I said.

"Wait," Mitsukuni replied, leaning forward. He bumped his forehead against mine. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"What?"

"I'm going on this family business trip thing," he said. "I'll be back in like a week." He withdrew away, smiling.

"Is that why you wanted to go see a movie today?" I asked. He nodded, pulling his hands out of mine. I grabbed onto them tighter. "Hang on. When are you going to come back?"

"Don't worry. It's just a week. I'll be back a few days before the party. You can call me, okay? You have my phone number right?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "Wait, do you want to come in? It's not even eight yet."

He shook his head. "No, I can't."

I frowned. "Okay then."

"Can I kiss you though?" he asked quietly.

"Of course." I closed my eyes nervously as he kissed me quickly. Yeah, this was going to take a while to get used to. When I opened my eyes, he was grinning at me. "That's it?"

"What?"

"You're leaving for a week and you kiss me like that?" I said. I couldn't help the smirk on my face as I pulled him closer and kissed him myself.

Someone cleared her throat not too far away, but I disregarded the sound. When we broke apart, Mitsukuni's face was a bright red tomato.

I giggled. "You're really red, Mitsukuni!"

"I know!" he said, blushing even more. My own face was hot too. Then he looked at me and grinned. Azumi was, indeed, standing next to us. She cleared her throat again but I continued to ignore her. I kept my gaze on Mitsukuni. He took my hand and kissed the knuckles gently. "I'm going then."

"Okay, have a safe trip," I replied. We stared at each other for a moment, gazes locked.

"Rika-sama," Azumi said. She was obviously starting to get impatient.

I leaned forward and kissed Mitsukuni on the cheek. "Okay. Now you should really go. Good night."

He grinned. "Night." Then he ran back across the lawn. He stopped halfway and waved at me enthusiastically. I waved back. He ran up to his front door and waved again. Then he started making shooeing gestures, telling me hurry up inside.

I tried to roll my eyes so he knew, but I doubted he could see. So I began wobbling - thanks to the heels - the short distance to the front door. He disappeared inside a moment later.

"You two are happy together, aren't you?" Azumi asked softly as she opened the door.

I nodded, as that warm sensation spread through me. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>"How was it?" Mom asked, sitting across from me in the living room.<p>

"Alright," I replied. "I still don't like him."

"You're just being difficult." She smiled, crossing her legs. "If you'd just give him a chance, you'll find that he's a very fine young man."

"He threw away that chance a long time ago, Mom," I said.

"How's that?"

"You weren't around but I came home one day with my wrist all bandaged up."

"Because you fell down the stairs?" Mom asked.

I shook my head. "It was a while after that. Azumi knows." Then I told Mom about Minoru injuring my wrist again.

She listened silently, staring at the coffee table in between us. After I was done, she glanced at me and smiled. "I'll have to think this over. It's late. Go to sleep, Rika." She stood and began making her way to the staircase. "Good night."

"Good night," I said.

* * *

><p><strong>So basically the weekly chapters should be about this length. Pretty long, huh? What did you think? Any opinion changes on Minoru? Or Rika's mom? Tell me what you think! :)<strong>

**Thank you for reading! **


	43. As summer comes to an end

**This is a suuuper long chapter! Like really long. And lots of things happen. **

**Ellerocks92:** Yes, I understand what you mean. It really is sad how there are relationships like that. But please remember that this story will have a happy ending, and it is a HoneyXOC story. ^-^ Thank you for your review! Hope you are well.

**Hime1234:** Yay, a bit of opinion change huh? Let's see if your opinion changes anymore after this chapter. :) Thanks for reviewing and reading!

**candymoon2315:** Alas, not much happens on his trip. So you're not grounded anymore right? Thank you for reviewing and reading! :D

**Karnevalfreak59: **Lol is Minoru your most hated character? You got to sleep more girl. Sleep is important. ;) That way you have strength to watch anime. Thank you for reviewing!**  
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**15samcre:** Hello. Yes you do have a few points there. ^-^ But yeah, she likes Mitsukuni too much, lol. Thank you for your lovely review! Here's the next chapter!

**AnimeBestie: **For emoticons, try looking up Japanese emoticons or cute emoticons, and then copy and paste to use. ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ Lol your reviews are so long that the email says "This message has been truncated due to length." Lol. Thank you! Can't believe you know someone called Mary Sue. Haha, that must suck actually. I do my best to create non Mary Sue characters, cause they can be pretty annoying. I'm anti-bandwagon, so I try to write things that are different. There's a lot of Hikaru stories too! Is your computer fixed yet? If only you could read manga... then I'd suggest Hibi Chouchou which is adorable! You could also try Skip Beat, which has an anime, about this one girl going into acting world. Pretty good, a tidbit of romance but not much. Oh! And definitely watched Clannad! It's AWESOME! Perfect mix of romance, friendship, angst, and humor. It's adorable and great and relatable. Thank you for your amazing review! :)

**DapandaGirl:** Wow, half? That's pretty cool. ^-^ I'm in Asia, fufufu, with lots of manga stuff lol. Isn't it so cool to see all that manga stuff? It's so much fun! :D Thanks for reviewing!

**helpmewoofy11:** Hm, there's a bit of your idea in this chapter! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing! Here's the chapter!

**aaa17:** I think the Kyoya thing will be a bit scattered, probably next next chapter? :) Lol, thank you for the review! Stay awesome yourself!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Lol, opinion change! Yay! ^^ Thank youuu for the review!**  
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**cloudsinwonderland:** You're back! :D Thanks for keeping up. Glad you liked the chapter! Thank you for reviewing! Lol, more fluff in this chapter. :)

**Okay. Take a break during this chapter if you need to! It's seriously long. Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>I thought a week wouldn't be bad, but I'd gotten far too used to seeing Mitsukuni daily. I was too used to seeing his bright smile, hearing his laughter, and just enjoying his presence.<p>

Damn it!

I rolled over as the door opened.

"Rika-sama, it's already ten. You should wake up," Azumi said.

"I don't want to," I replied.

"Rika-sama, please," she said. I sighed, sitting up. I'd been debating for a while on calling Mitsukuni. It was only day two, though. A week wasn't _that_ long. And, if I called him, wouldn't I come across as a clingy girlfriend?

Ugh, no, I don't want that. Besides, we're emailing each other back and forth. That should be good enough.

"Rika, you're up!" Kimiko said, as I was walking down the hall. "Perfect! Masahiko-kun is coming over today in the afternoon. You'll be here, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded. It's not like I had anywhere better to be. I wandered to the kitchen to try baking an apple pie.

* * *

><p>"Rika! He's here!"<p>

"Hang on!" I called from the kitchen as I pulled a cherry pie out of the oven. My apple pie had come out as a success, but I wasn't too sure about this cherry one. I set it down on the counter and tossed the kitchen mitt off. Then I hurried out towards Kimiko's voice.

He was quite tall, with short and light brown hair. His face was a bit round in a cute way, although he was overall skinny and tan. He glanced at me as I came running towards them.

"Rika, this is Kitano Masahiko," Kimiko said, gesturing at her boyfriend with a bright smile. "Masahiko-kun, this is my little sister, Rika."

I bowed. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same," he said, bowing back. Then he gave me a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. "You can call me Masa if you'd like."

"Masa?" I said.

"It's what most people call me," he replied.

I glanced at Kimiko. "Why don't you call him that?"

"Cause everyone calls him Masa," she said hotly. "It's no fun to be on the bandwagon." I snickered, and Masahiko joined in with a chuckle.

"Okay, um, Masa-san," I said with a smile. "Please call me Rika. And please continue to take good care of my sister."

"Okay." He nodded. "Please take care of me as well."

Well, he certainly seemed nice. I turned to Kimiko and gave her a thumbs-up. She blushed and then rolled her eyes.

"I'll be in the kitchen then," I said before leaving the two alone. "If you want some pie, come find me!"

* * *

><p>It was day four. At least Mom and Dad were extremely busy with work, so I was free to sleep in until ten-thirty before getting nagged at by Azumi.<p>

I still hadn't called Mitsukuni. It was starting to get annoying. I could picture his smiling face in my mind, but it wasn't quite enough. I really wanted to hear his voice. Ugh. Something painful was tugging at my chest, squeezing my stomach around. My heart throbbed when I thought that there were still three more days to go.

"_Hey how come you haven't emailed me?"_ An email from Ryota. "_You're even emailing Kenta!"_

I frowned at the new message, then began pacing back and forth in the kitchen. I was baking brownie cookies today. How should I respond to this? How could I respond to it? Tease him? I guess being blunt and honest was best. "_I don't know what to talk to you about,"_ I wrote back.

His reply came a few moments later: "_Have you read VV? It's really good mystery scifi kind of thing."_

"_Oh yeah! I read that like last year. It was good. ^^"_

"_I liked BJO better by that author."_

"_Nooo, VV is the best. BJO is just too ugh."_

"_Is it sad that I know what you mean when you say that?"_

"_No :D"_

"Rika-sama, Funaki-sama has come to visit," Azumi called as she entered the kitchen with said demon trailing behind her.

"_Dear lord," _I typed to Ryota. "_I'm being visited by the most obnoxious human being I know!"_

Azumi left the kitchen quickly, leaving Minoru to stand there with a smile. "Hello, Rika-san."

"Hello," I replied barely giving him a glance. I returned my attention to Ryota's reply.

"_Who is it? Is there any chance I can meet this obnoxious being?"_

"_Funaki Minoru. And probably not. Unless you come here this instance, lol."_

"_I wish I could."_

I bit my lip. I couldn't just forget that Ryota was… Ryota. He was my second best friend - cause Akane came first - and definitely someone I valued. Plus, being an ex-crush, there were still leftover feelings. He was special.

"Hey, are you just going to ignore me?"

I looked up at Minoru just as the oven bell rang. I snapped my phone shut and went to the oven, saying, "I'm not ignoring you. I'm just choosing to direct my attention to somewhere else." I pulled the tray out. "Do you want some?"

"What is it?"

"Brownie cookies," I replied. "Basically brownie dough baked as cookies." I set the tray down and turned the oven off.

"Hot!"

Whirling around quickly, I saw Minoru clutching his fingers.

"You touched the cookies?" I asked in disbelief.

He nodded before proceeding to suck on his fingers. I rolled my eyes, then grabbed his arm and towed him to the sink. I turned the faucet on to as cold as it could get and stuck his fingers under.

"I know I asked if you wanted some, but obviously not now. They're really hot right now," I said.

"Yeah," he said slowly.

"Feel better?" I asked. I pulled his hand out. His fingers were still red. "Hang on. Stay under the water." I exited the kitchen to grab a nearby maid and told her to get burn medicine. She came back quickly enough and I returned to where Minoru was waiting.

"Here." I splurt some of the medicine onto my finger before spreading it on his fingers. "Do you want a band-aid?"

He nodded quietly.

I sighed. "Who knew the great chess player Funaki Minoru could be such an idiot when it comes to freshly baked desserts? Haven't you ever baked anything before?"

"No," he said.

"No? Even though you're a son of Funaki Cakes? Strange," I muttered as I stuck a band-aid on one finger then the other. "There you go."

"Thanks," he said. Hm. He's actually being just a bit humble.

"You can have some of the cookies in like ten minutes," I said. "Sit down for now. Do you want something to drink? Tea? Water? Juice?"

"I'll just take some water," he replied.

I called a maid over to get us both some cups of water. Then I sat down at the kitchen bar next to him.

"So why did you come over?" I asked.

"I heard you were bored," he said.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Hm… It's a secret." He smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"It's even more boring with you here. I can't bake like I want to."

"Go ahead. I'll just watch."

"And burn yourself again," I mumbled. He blushed faintly, ears and cheeks turning pink. "So you can blush."

"Sh-Shut up!" he yelled, turning away from me.

Ah. He's a tsundere?

I giggled then hopped off the bar stool. "Watch. I'll bake a cake. What kind do you want?"

"It doesn't matter," he grumbled.

"Fine. Let's go with strawberry."

* * *

><p>Day seven. An email greeted me in the morning from Mitsukuni, saying, "<em>I'm coming back today! At about one!"<em>

"_Finally! I'll see you then!"_

I couldn't believe how excited I was for school to start again. It'd mean that I'd definitely be able to see Mitsukuni every day, except the weekends but that could easily be amended. Another email came, this time from Akane: "_Rika! Why aren't you here? No one will go to the pool with me. :("_

"_Why not?"_

"_Minnie's busy in cram school with Mickey. Tarou's on a trip with his family. Rikuto's busy with his job. And Kenta is too lazy to! Goof is being a dummy and won't come with me. Even Yukari-senpai is busy with her club! Whyyyy?"_

I grinned. Poor Akane. "_I wish I could go with you. Why don't you just drag Kenta or Goofy with you? They don't seem busy."_

"_Nooo, that's too tiring. Besides it's not fun to go with disgruntled people."_

"_Are you still living at the same apartment?"_

"_Yeah why?"_

"_I'll send something to cheer you up!"_

"_Okay! :D I'm looking forward to it!"_

Since there were a few hours until one, I could surely bake something for Akane. The only problem was shipping it over…

* * *

><p>At twelve-thirty, I began pacing the entire house, walking through the living room, up the stairs, and back down again.<p>

"Rika-sama, is there anything I can do for you?" Azumi asked, stopping me in my path.

I bit my lip and shook my head. Then I stopped. "Actually, can you go mail something for me?" I headed towards the kitchen and snatched a large, white box off the counter. Then I pointed at another one.

"Of course." She took it out of my hands and left me alone in the kitchen.

I sighed. Azumi would definitely check to see what it was. Both were cakes, and both were being sent to Oji-san. There was a letter inside, however, to thank him for teaching me. Then there was a hidden letter with some money to ask him to send one of the boxes to Akane.

If it was like this, Mom shouldn't be able to find out that I sent cake to Akane. Right?

Ten minutes to one, I began pacing at the driveway. My stomach began flipping and squeezing. I felt almost sick. Ugh, this could not be good for me. My heart was beating irregularly, skipping around like a child at play.

Five minutes to one. I couldn't sit still. Would they be on time? Oh wait, what if he got caught in an accident? Oh no, that wouldn't be good. No no.

Then a Haninozuka black car came turning down the street. Ah! I must look like a… headless chicken! Running around for nothing. I forced myself to stand still. I played with the rose hairclip that was tucked in my pocket. I usually didn't wear it because I couldn't make it stay in my hair the way Mitsukuni could.

The car pulled up the Haninozuka driveway, and a door flew open. A familiar blond head came out. I tensed, prepared to run over.

But it was Yasuchika.

I almost collapsed on the driveway. Are you kidding me? So anticlimactic. That just like killed my spirit.

I began walking across the lawn calmly as Satoshi hopped out of the car. He spotted me and waved with a bright grin. I smiled, waving back. Then another blond head appeared. That had better be Mitsukuni, or else I will smack something silly!

It was Mitsukuni, and he noticed me almost immediately. He stared at me.

"Mitsukuni!" I called, continuing to walk at a regular pace.

A slow grin spread, lighting up Mitsukuni's face. "Rika!"

Seeing that brilliant smile and hearing his voice, I dropped all pretenses. I flew across the grass, sprinting towards that one person waiting for me with the warmest smiles.

He caught me with a small twirl. "Woah," he said, giggling.

I hugged him tightly. "I missed you."

"Same," he replied, pulling me closer. "Why didn't you call then?"

"Uh, well." I chuckled, feeling embarrassed and silly suddenly. "I… couldn't."

Mitsukuni pulled away to stare at me with a curious gaze. "Why not?" he asked.

I shook my head, blushing. I licked my lips. How could I explain this? "I, uh, didn't know how to. Um, I just… uh."

He laughed. "Okay then."

I smiled. "I'm glad you're back."

"Same," he said.

"Did you grow taller?" I asked, squinting at the top of his head. I compared our heights, moving a hand over my head and his.

"Maaaybe," he replied, giggling.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the grin. Or that great, warm feeling.

* * *

><p>"Rika, why don't you wear this dress to the party?" Mom had specially stayed here at home for this party. It was a business party, so I suppose they must have some kind of business thing to discuss. A few days after this party, she and Dad were going to leave, to go about on their separate business trips.<p>

She was holding a white dress of mine up. It was sleeveless, with a low cut in the back.

"What are you wearing, Mom?" I asked, staring at the dress with uncertainty.

"Well, your other choice is a kimono, but that will make you stand out," she replied. "I'm going in a dress too. Your father's wearing a suit."

"Sayoko!" Dad called from outside of my room. "The tie!"

Mom sighed, handing me the dress. "Change. We'll be heading over in twenty minutes. Do you want makeup?"

I shook my head vigorously. "No thanks."

Mom smiled. "You're right. You don't need makeup." Then she left my room. I stared at the dress. It wasn't bad, it was just… Well, whatever.

I stood in front of my full-length mirror. It fell just a bit past my knees. There were two pastel pink roses at the waist. I smiled. They'd probably match my hairclip. And at least the back wasn't _that_ low.

I grabbed my hairclip as Azumi entered. "May I do your hair, Rika-sama?"

"Why can't I just leave it down?" I asked.

She sat me down at that useless vanity and then began brushing my hair. "I'll pull it up into a ponytail, with two small braids on either side. How does that sound?"

I shrugged. "It sounds fine. But can you be quick?"

"Very well," she said.

In like five minutes, she was done. I ran a cautious finger. There was one small braid of hair, on each side, that had been pulled into the ponytail, tucked behind my ears. Interesting. I feel like a manga character!

I stood. "I'll be going then."

"There's still time, Rika-sama," Azumi said.

"I know." I opened the door with her behind me. "I'll just go ahead of the rest. Can you tell Mom that?"

She sighed. "Very well."

I pulled on my black flats and walked to Mitsukuni's house through the sidewalk. The party was starting at six and there'd be food.

A butler opened the door for me without a word. "Mitsukuni-sama is in the living room."

I nodded, smiling. "Thank you." I guess I was becoming a regular sight at the Haninozuka residence. I was even getting used to where everything was.

Mitsukuni was sitting on a couch facing me. "Mitsukuni!" I skipped towards him. His eyes lit up and he smiled.

Then I realized there was someone sitting across from him. She was a middle-aged lady, with light-brown hair, pale skin, and rich caramel eyes with a golden glint. She had a rather round face and a kind look.

"Ah, sorry!" I said, cringing at my rudeness. "Did I interrupt something?"

The lady smiled. She stood, and Mitsukuni did too. "I'm Mitsukuni's mother. You must be the Hayashi Rika that I've been hearing about."

I nodded, bowing at best as I could. "It's pleased to meet you."

She was much taller than I expected. So why was Mitsukuni so short? He should be much taller than me. Mrs. Haninozuka smiled. "You're very pretty."

"Why thank you, ma'm," I said, giving her my best smile. "You look very young yourself."

"Oh, no need to flatter me," she replied. She giggled, placing a hand on her cheek. "I'll leave you two alone now. I have to go prepare for the party. It was nice meeting you."

"Same." I bowed again as Mitsukuni came to stand beside me. His mom left the room, giggling, as if she'd been watching some kind of comedy.

"Hey," Mitsukuni said. I turned to face him and held the hairclip up.

"Hey. Can you put this in my hair?"

He grinned, taking the clip out of my hands. "Of course. You look really cute today." I bit my lip as my face turned red.

"Th-Thanks." I smiled.

He slipped the hairclip in and then grinned. "There!"

"It matches right?" I asked, backing away to show him the dress. He nodded. Interestingly enough, his ears and face were turning pink. "Anyway, did you get to try that marble cake?"

"Yeah! It was good. Really good. It tastes a lot like Oji-san's," Mitsukuni said. He took my hand. "I have to change. So let's go to my room for now."

I waited, lying on his bed as he was in the bathroom. "Hey, what did you do on your trip? Did like everyone go?"

"Yeah! We went to Kyoto and trained there. Mom and Dad did a lot of business meetings and stuff. Oh and we saw…" Mitsukuni began talking about the things they saw. They did quite a bit of sightseeing. It was mainly temples, but they also went and ate a ton of food.

"That sounds fun," I said. "The food sounds so good."

He opened the bathroom door, grinning. I flipped over from my back to my stomach. He was wearing a black suit and struggling with the pink tie. I hopped off the bed to go to his side.

"It was fun! We did a lot of training though, so it was tiring," he replied as he tugged on the tie. "I'm glad to be back."

I nodded, watching him struggle with the tie. Finally, I sighed and brushed his hands off the tie. "Let me do it." I quickly pulled it off and then properly wrapped it around his neck.

"You know how to tie a tie?" Mitsukuni asked curiously.

"My mom taught me, cause my dad's hopeless with ties." I dropped the tie with a smile. "Good?"

"Mm-hm!"

We walked down to the large hall where the party would be held. The walls were painted a brilliant, rich red, with golden-brown half pillars inserted throughout. Tables covered in food were already set up, and servants bustled about adding finishing touches to the decoration. Along the way, Mitsukuni continued to tell me about the trip. It sounded like fun. He and Takashi's family were quite close with each other. His parents were already in the hall, examining the place.

"Ah, Mitsukuni!" his dad called. He waved us over. "Hello, Hayashi-san!"

"Hello, Haninozuka-san!" I bowed. "And, uh…"

His mom smiled. "You can call me Haninozuka-san too, Hayashi-san."

"Yes." I bowed at her too.

"She's so polite, Yorihisa," his mom said chuckling. "I think I like her."

"Well if Mitsukuni likes her, then I do too!" Mitsukuni's dad agreed with a grin.

I blushed. "Th-Thank you."

"Mom," I heard Yasuchika call as he came running in. "Oh, Rika-san." He nodded at me briefly before turning back to his mom. "The tie."

I grinned. "It must run in the family, huh, Mitsukuni?" He shrugged as his mom adjusted Chika's tie. He was wearing a suit too, just with a dark blue tie.

"Yay! Rika-nee's here!" Satoshi ran up to me with a grin. "I tried some of your cake! It was delicious!"

"Cake?" Mitsukuni's mom asked, glancing at me.

"Yes, it was that marble cake I showed you earlier," his dad replied. "The pretty vanilla chocolate one."

"Ohh." She nodded, then smiled. "You two are a good match."

"It seems our guests are arriving, Yorihisa," Takashi's dad said, coming over to our growing party. He glanced at me. "Who's this?"

"Our Mitsukuni's girlfriend!" Mitsukuni's dad said proudly. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hayashi Rika!"

I bowed. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"We have to go greet the guests now, Yorihisa," Mitsukuni's mom said.

In a second, the party dispersed with the adults heading to the entrance. "Mitsukuni!" his dad called. "Come here and greet our guests!"

Mitsukuni glanced at me. I nodded. "Go on then. I'll just go and hang out with the food." I smiled, and he smiled back.

"Okay. I'll find you once I'm done," he said before strolling to his parents' side. Takashi followed after.

I perused the food. There were entrees for a full dinner, snacks, and then desserts. The last party I'd been to, however, half of the food was left untouched.

I got a plate and began piling up some food. Might as well eat while I wait. My parents filtered in later along with the crowd. Kimiko was with them, wearing a pretty red dress. I watched the people flow in. They all stopped to chat with Mitsukuni's parents.

Hm. Boring.

At least the food was good. Ah, who am I kidding? This is a party hosted by one of the wealthiest families in Japan. Of course their food would be top-notch.

"Fancy meeting you here, Rika-san," a terribly familiar voice said. Minoru walked up to me with a smile. "Good evening."

"Good evening," I replied with a nod.

He stared at my platter of food. "You're the type of girl who eats a lot, huh?"

"No, I just like to eat a lot of good food," I said.

"I'll join you then."

"That's unnecessary." I glanced around. Mitsukuni was still standing by the doors with his parents. People just kept streaming in. "You can leave right now and not talk to me again."

"How harsh," he said with a smile.

I swear he's… impossible! So frustrating! He's a difficult person. "How are your fingers? Better?"

He nodded. "Thanks to you."

Bleh. I forced a smile. "That's good. You should try out the desserts, Funaki-san. There's lots of good cakes."

"Really? Are any of them from Hayashi Sweets?" he asked as his gaze swept across the dessert table.

"No."

"Then I don't see how they can be good cakes," he said. "I'm going to get a drink. Is there anything I can-"

I shook my head. "No thank you, Funaki-san. Bye now!"

He was back in a few minutes, though, and Mitsukuni was _still_ preoccupied. He was bowing and smiling and waving at all the people that came in. Just how many people did the Haninozuka's invite?!

"So you'll be participating in the chess tournament, correct?" Minoru asked. I nodded. "Good. On our first day back to school, we'll begin our chess boot camp."

"Sounds horrible," I replied.

He smiled. "At least you're being honest. We'll just be doing all sorts of exercises to better our chess skills."

"Fine," I said with a shrug. "I'll be there."

"Great. How did your summer go?"

"It was alright. How about you?" I asked.

He smiled. "It would have been lovelier if I'd been able to spend more time with you."

"Please," I said, rolling my eyes. "Please don't flirt with me." I shuddered at the thought. "It's just-"

Minoru grabbed my arm, turning me towards him. We were close, very close. If Mitsukuni saw this…

I jerked away, stepping back quickly. "Don't touch me, Funaki-san. We can have a professional relationship and that is it."

"Oh come on," Minoru said quietly. He took a step closer.

"Rika!" Mitsukuni came dashing to my side. He stared at Minoru.

"Thank goodness you're here," I said, facing Mitsukuni.

"Mm, Rika," Mitsukuni said. He glanced at me briefly before returning to stare at Funaki. "The marble cake is almost all gone, and the kitchen servants were asking if you'd bake another one.

"You always interrupt, don't you, Haninozuka?" Minoru asked.

"Be quiet, Funaki-san," I muttered. "I'll go then. Do you want to…"

Mitsukuni shook his head. "I'm gonna get something to eat."

I nodded. "Okay then. I'll come find you once I'm done," I said. I shot Minoru a hard stare and then went off towards the kitchen.

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Honey glared at Minoru.

"What is it, Haninozuka?" Minoru asked with a lazy wave of his hand. "In case you've forgotten, Hayashi Rika is _my_ fiancee. Not yours."

"I don't care," Honey replied, taking a step closer. "You better not hurt Rika. You better not even threaten her. If you do…"

"If I do what? You'll punch me? You'll flip me over your little shoulder?" Minoru smirked.

Honey frowned. "Just stay away." He turned away to go find Rika when Minoru stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"That should be my line," Minoru hissed.

Honey shrugged his hand off and then walked away without another word. Funaki Minoru was a difficult person. It would be troublesome to compete against him.

* * *

><p>Rika was in the kitchen, throwing the cake into the oven. She set a bowl of icing on the counter and instructed a nearby servant to pull the cake out when the oven timer beeped and to ice it.<p>

"Rika!"

"Hey, I'm done!" she said with a grin, heading over to him. She took the apron off and glanced down at her dress. "Oops, I've got some cake batter on me." She giggled. Her mom would probably throw a fuss if she knew there was cake batter on her dress.

"It's fine. It's not very noticeable," Honey replied as she brushed at it with some paper towels. The two exited the kitchen.

"So what did you eat?"

* * *

><p>Oshiro Sayoko sipped her drink, watching her daughter and Haninozuka Mitsukuni interact.<p>

Someone stepped up to her right. "They're so cute together, don't you think?" Haninozuka Yorihisa asked. He smiled at her. "How have you been, Sayoko-san?"

"I wouldn't call them cute together," she replied.

"Look at how happy they are. You should let them be that way, while they're still young," Yorihisa said. He too watched the two younger ones talking and smiling.

"My daughter is absolutely smitten by your son," Sayoko said. "And I don't like that."

"That's my Mitsukuni for you." Yorihisa beamed proudly. "Ah, but it's more like your daughter has my son wrapped up around her finger. The entire time during our trip, he kept watching his phone, waiting for your daughter to call or message him."

"I don't believe it."

"But it's true. Why don't you call off the engagement? Let them be."

"They're young. Their feelings might fall apart. How am I supposed to know they'll survive in a long-term relationship?" Sayoko said. "The engagement is an investment and a promise. And I don't break promises lightly."

"A noble virtue," Yorihisa replied with a nod. "But sometimes our children's feelings and happiness - no matter how temporary and brief - are more important than our pride. Don't you think so too?"

"Oh really?" Sayoko turned to face him.

"Sayoko!" Hayashi Noboru twirled over to his wife's side, carrying a plate with a cake on it. "Have you tried this cake? It's absolutely deeelicious!"

"No, you know I'm not into sweets," she replied.

"You'll like this one! It's not that sweet!" he said. He held a fork full of the cake in front of her. "Come on! Try it!"

She sighed, taking a bite. Then she nodded. "It's good. You can have the rest now."

"Yorihisa-san!" Noboru said, turning to his neighbor. "Who made this cake?"

Yorihisa grinned. "Your daughter did."

…

"What?" Sayoko asked incredulously. "Impossible. This tastes as if - her cakes usually don't taste like this."

"Why not?" Yorihisa asked.

"Our Rika made this?" Noboru held the plate up for inspection. "Oh! My glorious daughter! Come!" He flew over to where the couple stood by the food table.

"She can create some simple cake designs and ideas, but it never tasted the way our Hayashi Sweets makes it," Sayoko puzzled over this. Something had happened when Rika went on that trip with the younger Haninozuka. Something that had changed their relationship. They seemed much more at ease with each other. And now Rika was baking cakes like this? Just what exactly had happened?

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

"Hey, I can see the twins!" I said, pointing through the crowd. Their auburn hair wasn't hard to spot in the sea of black and brown. "They look bored."

"Haninozuka Mitsukuni?"

I glanced towards the sound of the voice. A rather young couple was standing in front of us, probably in their mid-twenties. The girl smiled. "You've grown, Mitsukuni-kun!"

It seemed like they knew each other well. So, while Mitsukuni began chatting with the pair, I slipped through the crowd towards the twins.

"Hey." I tugged at the sleeve of one of the twins' suit jacket.

The two turned. Then they grinned at me. "Rika-senpai!"

"Hi," I said with a smile. "You guys got invited too, huh?"

"Yeah, our mom's talking to Honey-senpai's mom right now," Hikaru said. He pointed with his head at their direction.

"Have you met her yet?" Kaoru asked.

"Who? Your mom?" I said.

"No, Honey-senpai's mom!" the twins said in unison. They gave me their duh expression, as if my question was absolutely absurd.

"Of course I have!" I replied, crossing my arms.

"And?" the twins asked, leaning over me.

I rolled my eyes. "She's really nice."

They scoffed. "Boooring!"

"Rika-senpai!"

Hm. That was a familiar voice I hadn't heard in a while. I turned just in time to see the girl torpedoing towards me. She lurched to a halt right before me, taking a deep breath, and then grinned at me. "Hello!"

"Chiyo-san!" I smiled. "Hi!"

"So how come you aren't with Honey-senpai?" Hikaru asked curiously. He glanced around. "Oh, hey, he's coming this way."

"I was just with him. He was talking to someone."

"You just ditched him?" Kaoru said. His eyes widened.

"Yeah! Ditch Honey-senpai!" Chiyo yelled, pumping a fist in the air.

"What?" Mitsukuni said as he came up behind us.

"Sorry I ditched you," I said immediately, turning towards him. "You're not mad, right? I just wanted to say hi to the twins and I don't know those people. And-"

Mitsukuni giggled, grinning at me. "It's okay." He turned to the rest. "Hi!"

"Hi," the twins said. They slung their arms around each other. "You know Kyoya-senpai is here too."

"Really? Where?" I asked. On my tiptoes, I glanced around but couldn't spot that familiar glasses-wearing second year. A hand tugged on my arm, pulling me down off my toes. "What, Mitsukuni?"

"Where'd you get your dress?" Hikaru asked.

I shrugged. "Mom bought it. Nice suits you guys are wearing."

They grinned, nodding. "Yup! We designed it ourselves!" It looked practically like any other suit, closed up with a single button. Although there were some lines down the middle of their white shirt underneath. Maybe that was what they designed? Well, I'm no fashion guru. They also had matching bright orange ties.

"Rika-senpai! What about me?" Chiyo asked, twirling to show her dress. It was light pink with a v-neck and a short, poofy skirt. Her hair was tied up in some elaborate bun, with curly strands popping out at the side and held up by some pretty red rose.

"Gorgeous, of course!" I said with a thumbs up. "Chiyo-san really does look good in everything."

Chiyo giggled and her arms flittered about in the air in the most strangest way. I'd never seen her do something like that. She stopped and began fiddling with her fingers.

"Do you want to do something, Chiyo-san?" I asked. "Or say something?" She shook her head, biting her lip.

"It's obvious you do," Hikaru said.

"Do what?" Mitsukuni asked.

"Ahh! I can't stand it!" Chiyo yelled. She stomped one foot. "I really want to hug you, Rika-senpai!"

"Go ahead," I replied.

She blinked at me. "Really?" Then she glanced at Mitsukuni. "Can I?"

"Um, it-it's Rika's choice," he said, looking away.

"Yay!" Chiyo glomped me happily. She rubbed her cheek against mine. "Rika-senpai is so small and cute and fluffy! It's like hugging a teddy bear!"

"Or a bunny," Hikaru muttered, snickering.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

The twins leaned towards Mitsukuni with leering grins. "You can imagine it, right, Honey-senpai?"

"Oi, don't bully him," I said. Mitsukuni had his head down, and he looked as if he were caught in some huge moral dilemma. His eyes were wide, frozen in shock. Then he shook his head fiercely.

Just what the heck was he thinking? I don't get it at all…

"Excuse me, you're Hayashi Rika, right?" a servant came over. I nodded. "Oh, good. Could you come to the kitchen? If you want to, that is. The cake, um."

"Okay," I said and began following the servant back to the kitchen.

* * *

><p><strong>A few thoughts on this chapter:<strong>

**Chiyo returns! What did you guys think of her comeback? Mitsukuni's week long absence was actually a bit difficult to write. Like, how do you grasp those feelings of missing someone? What did you guys think of that? I also added Minoru's burn part a while later, since some of you were mentioning Minoru appearing during Mitsukuni's absence. So I added it in. ^-^ What did you think? There was a bit of a development. Any more opinion changes on the mom? Or Minoru? **

**Next chapter, they return to school! We're heading speedily along towards the end! :)**

**Thank you for reading! :D**


	44. A visit to the Black Magic Club!

**Chapter 44. I totally didn't notice we were in the 40s already. :O Wow. Thank you all for reading to this length! And thanks for all the follows and faves! :)**

**AwakenedSecrets:** Aw you're version of missing someone sounds so cute! Thank you for your review! :D

**candymoon2315: **Lol, please tell me if your opinion of Minoru changes after this chapter! ^-^ Thanks a lot for reading and reviewing!

**Karnevalfreak59:** Dang you stay up late. XD Minoru needs 9 lives to survive you haha. Thanks for reviewing!

**Lavendor Queen: **Hi! What do you think of her mom then? Thank you for reviewing! :)

**Hime1234: **Seems Chiyo is popular lol. Thanks for the feedback! ^^ And for reviewing!

**PhoenixOtaku:** You just cake? I love it! It's like... Cake you! Or "Go to cake!" Haha, thank you for your review! :D

**EmeraldStar642:** Wowsy, a twin? Hehe, your hyper review was awesome! Thanks so much! :) Please tell your friend I said hi! Lol, now I want to see your fangirling face. ^-^

**Strawberry Neko: **Ooh yay, I love hearing your thoughts! :D Let me think the Kyoya-Tamaki friendship thing over lol. As for fluff, it's been light. Please tell me what you think of the fluff level for this chapter! Thank you for the review!

**Jewelsy426:** Well it's been ten chapters... Hehe, don't worry! There's definitely at least 20 or so chapters left! I'll write more about this at the bottom. Oh and the school thing: Japan's schooling is where a new school year begins in the spring (hence all those shoujo mangas starting in the spring, etc) and they have a summer and winter break. School is practically all year round ish. Google for a better explanation lol. So the story began in spring and now summer has ended. Hope that makes more sense! Thanks for your thoughts! They help me out to know what readers are thinking/know. Thank you for reviewing! :D It's been awhile, huh?**  
><strong>

**DreamRealm3: **Lol do you have any super huge stuffed animals? Or have you hugged one before? Thanks for the review! :)

**Farrafelpies: **Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! :D

**AnimeBestie: **I don't mind your long reviews at all! :) And it's Minoru lol. I think we have similar taste! Kaichou wa Maid-sama was a good manga! Oh and another manga I'd recommend is Last Game. It's only got about 30 chapters, art is nice, and story is adorable! Romance may be frustratingly slow but it's still cute and funny! ^-^ Oh and Gakuen Babysitters is also cute, very little romance, but it's about cute toddlers and it's adooorable! And if you can, you should also read Ouran's manga. :) Anything you have to recommend? RIP AnimeBestie's laptop. Time to wait 2 months, huh? That's kinda sad that there's no manga stuff there. At least you have otaku buddies! Don't any bookstores near you sell manga? Is there a Barnes and Nobles? Well lots of people don't know what manga and anime are, so it's okay! :D Thanks for your review!

**Otakugirl119:** Hi there! Thank you so much! :) Hope you continue to like this story!

**Guest: **Hello. Thanks for your review! ^-^ Probably 20 more chapters to go, lol, so no worries!

**15samcre: **Ooh, you know I didn't think much about that marble cake! But thanks to your review, it's explained a bit more in this chapter. Hope it helps you! Thank you for your great feedback! :D

**aaa17:** About 20 more chapters to go. Thank you for the review! Here's the next chapter! :)

**Sherlockianyepguest:** Dunno if you've caught up, but I've seen your reviews. Thank you so much! :D Hope you're enjoying the story!

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! :D By the way, info at the bottom. Please read!**

* * *

><p>"<em>I got the cake! It's suuuuper good! Delicious! Thank you! :D"<em>

"_Have you heard of ½ Prince? It's about this one video game that's very realistic and the main character is some girl and there's genderbending in it. Don't you like that genre?"_

"_Hey Rika, I made this chess game program thing. Akane won't try it out for me! So will you?"_

"_Riiika! My sister is in love with Yuuta! Do you think I should tell Ryota? Do you think he'll get mad? It's his precious little bro after all, and my sis is such a brat. Akane told me that it really doesn't matter. Please give me better advice!"_

* * *

><p>On our first day back to school, there was a transfer student.<p>

"My name is Umari Etsuko. I hope we can all get along!" She had a cute short bob hairstyle with full bangs, and her hair was a dark blond, almost orange, color. She smiled at everyone charmingly.

Another new student… yippee.

Mitsukuni grinned at me from his seat. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood too. I smiled back. Ah, but there was that chess thing today. What a bother. Oh but after that, I could go to the Host Club! Kyoya wanted to discuss the Host Cakes, and I was having Azumi bring the Kyoya and Mori cake today.

The day passed quite quickly. Classes were awfully boring, as usual.

"Set your chess board like this," Minoru was saying. He was pointing at a diagram that was being projected onto a nearby blank wall. "Then, play!"

The game was set up so that it was difficult for both sides, with fewer pieces and not-so-great positions. I settled down in my seat across from one of the more skilled chess players in the club. Ariwara Hatsumi, the club's VP, was much too good for me to be able to play her in these games. She was just walking around watching the matches along with Minoru.

Well, once I beat this girl, I can leave!

"Checkmate!"

Crap. Did I just lose?

"Something wrong, Rika-san?" Minoru asked, stopping at our table. "It's not like you to lose."

I stood up. "Please excuse me for the day then."

"Hey, don't think losing will let you go so quickly." He grabbed my arm. "Play another round and win this time." He went to his computer and the image on the wall changed. "Everyone! When you're done, try this one out next."

I sighed, slumping in my seat. "Let's hurry up then."

"Checkmate."

Finally! I win this time! I leapt out of my seat, grabbed my school bag, and was out the door in a second. Forget Minoru! I'm going to get my cake!

* * *

><p>The Host Club was still in full swing when I arrived, balancing two boxes in my arms. I set them down to open the door.<p>

"I hate you!"

The transfer student, Umari Etsuko, was standing next to Mitsukuni's table and pointing at him. Everyone was staring at her as she glared at Mitsukuni.

"You are so _fake!_" she yelled. "Acting all cute and innocent! Like a little kid! It's disgusting!"

I dropped the boxes unceremoniously on a nearby table and stomped towards the new girl as she continued: "Eating so many cakes! And sweets! What are you? A monster?"

I grabbed her arm and yanked her towards me. "Please stop."

She glared at me. "Who are you?"

I could see the other Hosts gathering around from the corner of my eye. I stared back at her and then smiled sweetly. "You're disrupting the other guests, Umari-san. Would you like me to escort you out the door?"

Or better yet, out the windows.

She gritted her teeth before jerking her arm out of my grip. "Don't touch me, you weirdo! You guys are all weirdos! How can you take this guy's act?" She jabbed her finger into Mitsukuni's face, who flinched backwards.

"Umari-san, please," I said, taking her hand and pulling it down.

"Come this way," Tamaki said. He waved his arm towards the door.

"From now on," Kyoya said as he pushed his glasses up. "You are banned from the Host Club."

* * *

><p>"What was that about?" I asked, taking a seat at Mitsukuni's table.<p>

He shrugged while maintaining that grin. "I don't know."

"What are you doing here?" Suzume said. She and Hayakawa Ayako were both here, along with some other guests. She tossed her hair behind her shoulder.

"I'm a guest, Ashika-san," I replied. "Ah, hang on. I'll put the cakes in the fridge." I hopped out of the chair to grab the two boxes. On my way out of the backroom, I was stopped by Kyoya.

"What do you think of this?" He held up a colorful flyer that had the pictures of the Host Club cakes on it. "Of course, it's missing three pictures, but this is just a prototype."

"It looks good. Are you gonna post it everywhere?" I asked.

"Of course. Hayashi Sweets will advertise too, right?" he said with a smile.

I shrugged. "I'll see what I can do. Does a part of the money that Hayashi Sweets earn from these cakes go to you?"

"Of course."

"And I'll get a part of it, right?" I smiled.

"Of course."

"So…" I glanced around the large room. Everything was back to normal. It was quiet and calm, with that relaxing and elegant air. "What was that about? With Umari Etsuko."

"You know her?" Kyoya said. He held out a cup of tea for me which I accepted.

"She's in a few of my classes."

"It seems she believes Honey-senpai is fake, acting like a child," he replied, sipping his own cup.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

He glanced at me. "You think he's fake?"

"No. But he does behave like a child."

"Isn't that just his personality?"

"It is?" I said. I watched Mitsukuni, grinning as usual as he chatted with his guests. He didn't look fazed at all. Behind that cutesy exterior, was he confused or scared by Umari?

"I thought you knew him best, Rika," Kyoya said. He smiled at me cooly.

I shook my head. "You should ask Takashi, not me."

"Since when were you two on first name basis?" He turned to his laptop.

"Since summer," I replied. "How was your summer, by the way?"

"The same," he said.

"Very descriptive." I nodded. "I can just imagine your summer. What you're doing every single day."

He smiled.

"Do you want to see your cake?" I asked.

"You've already sent pictures," he said.

"It's different when it's 3-D, you know." I stood and went back into the backroom, pulling the top box out. "Here you go!"

I opened the box, revealing the black icing, some small white sprinkles, and his lavender rose at the very center. It was a square cake, with a mint chocolate chip ice cream layer in between two dark chocolate cake layers.

"It's cool, right?" I asked eagerly. I admittedly had spent quite some time on his cake.

"And the inside has ice cream?" Kyoya said, staring at the cake intently.

"Yes! Cause ice cream is cool, and you're cool. And it's mint, which is also cool." I grinned. I was quite proud of my ideas this time around.

He glanced at me and smiled. "It's good."

Wow, I just got a compliment from Ootori Kyoya! I tucked the box back into the fridge and then went and surveyed the room. Just when was the Host Club going to end?

* * *

><p>Takashi's cake was a two-layered one, with a miniature, cartoon Mitsukuni figurine on the top beside the deep blue rose. This one wasn't edible because I wasn't sure whether it should be made of chocolate or just a figurine. The cake was swirled chocolate and vanilla marble cake. I'd experimented with it at the Haninozuka party using techniques that Oji-san had taught me. He had his own special marble cake recipe but I decided not to use that. It was much more simple, like Haruhi's, coated in dark chocolate. It was also much smaller in width compared to the other cakes but that was made up by height.<p>

"So?" I asked, awaiting the others' opinions.

"It looks great, Rika-senpai," Haruhi said with a smile as she dug into a slice of the Takashi cake.

"What about my cake, Rika-chan?" Tamaki asked. His eyes glittered in expectation, just like a child waiting for a nonexistent Christmas present.

I shook my head. "It's coming. Saving the best for the last."

"Yay!" He began twirling around in his own world.

"So should the Mitsukuni figure be edible or not?" I asked.

"Well, it'd be kinda weird to eat Honey-senpai," Haruhi said.

Weird? Hm… I tried to imagine eating a little Mitsukuni figurine. "_Oh look! I just bit off his nose! Oh, there goes his leg. And now he's bald!"_

I shook my head. Nevermind, that _would_ be weird!

"I'm sure not everyone thinks that," Hikaru said with a smirk. He glanced at me and I frowned. Now what was that for? We hadn't told the Host Club that we were really dating now. Or did Mitsukuni? No, I think he'd tell me if he'd told them.

"But it's Takashi's cake," I said. "And some Takashi guests might not want an edible Mitsukuni. Maybe I should just take it off?"

Tamaki twirled over to us, excited with some idea. "But it's just like Mori-senpai to have something related to Honey-senpai on his cake!"

"You could swap it with an Usa-chan figurine," Haruhi suggested. "Or just a bunny."

"How about a bunny picture on the top cake?" I asked. "And the rose I'll move down to the second layer at the side." I pointed at the specific spots.

"Sounds good to me," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up.

"What do you think Takashi?" I turned to said person. He just nodded. Come on, any opinion would help.

"It's good any way," he said quietly.

I grinned. "Thanks!"

* * *

><p>"Give me your email and cell phone number."<p>

I glanced up at Minoru, playing with the bishop piece. "What?"

He smiled. "Email and phone number?"

"No thanks," I said. I set my bishop down and then turned to Hatsumi who sat across from me. "Your turn."

"Come on, Rika-san," Minoru said.

"Why don't you give him your email?" Hatsumi asked as she made her move.

"Would you?" I replied.

"I have Hatsumi-san's email," Minoru said. He grabbed a chair nearby and sat down beside us. "And her phone number."

"Really. Are you two friends?" I asked as we continued to play. Considering Minoru was calling her by her first name, they might be. But then again, he was calling me by my first name, so...

Hatsumi smiled. "We've known each other for a very long time, Rika-chan. I've learned a lot of my chess strategies from him."

"That's why if you can beat her, you can challenge me," Minoru said, leaning back in his chair. "Come on."

"What, my mom didn't already give you my email and information?"

"She did," he replied.

I sighed. "Then why are you asking?"

"Isn't it polite too?"

"No, you didn't exactly ask, you demanded," I said. I glanced at Hatsumi. "How do you stand him?"

"What do you mean?" She giggled. "He's a nice guy."

"Yeah, hear that?" Minoru stood and then wobbled away. What was with him? Jeez, he was about as understandable as some lost, ancient language carved in eroded walls!

"He's actually a bit shy," Hatsumi said.

"Shy?" I managed not to snort. "In what way?"

She glanced at me. "You haven't noticed? He wanders around this club but he actually very rarely talks to people. Except you, me, and a few of the chess players he's known for years. It takes a while for him to be able to talk to people normally."

"He can speak just fine in front of the whole club," I replied.

"Yes, but that's something that's been trained out of him. He used to be a stammering mess as a kid," she said with a smile. "He was the kind of kid that'd get bullied the most."

"Huh." I tried to chew on this new fact, but it was too strange to stomach.

"Checkmate," Hatsumi said, setting her knight down. "Pay some more attention, Rika-chan. You let yourself completely fall into my trap."

I stared at the board for a moment. "Oh. Great."

She grinned, standing. "Good job today. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah. Thanks, bye."

* * *

><p>Walking to the Host Club after Chess Club, I found a particular person crouched by the club doors.<p>

"Umari-san, what are you doing?" I asked, stopping behind her.

She leapt to her feet with wide, pale blue eyes. "Nothing! Nothing!" She froze and stared at me, frowning. "It's you, huh. Who are you anyway?"

"Hayashi Rika," I replied, smiling as best as I could. "I'm your classmate."

"I know that," she snapped. Then she began walking away from the Host Club doors. I watched her go. Today was just full of these wackos.

I entered the clubroom and took a seat on an empty couch. Minoru had told me that if I got in the top three in the chess tournament, I could challenge him. So, I'd downloaded a chess app on my red notebook and had been playing it for a while.

"Oh yes." Kyoya came over carrying some package. "This is for you."

It was a small brown cardboard box sent to the Host Club and addressed to me. There wasn't a return address, though. I tore the tape off and popped the box open. Inside was a single slice of chocolate mousse cake and a note was taped on the other side.

It read: "_Dear Hayashi Rika, I have long admired you. You are so beautiful and perfect, I can't help but die a little when I see you. I hope you will enjoy this cake. Sincerely, Your Secret Admirer."_

Okay then... This is kinda strange. Die a little? Is that supposed to be a compliment? But this cake looks really good. I haven't had mousse cake in a long time.

I grabbed a fork from a nearby table and dug into the cake. It was delicious. Soft and creamy and sweet and amazing.

Oh wait a minute… maybe I shouldn't just eat some random cake I got. But it was from Kyoya, so I doubt it'd be like bad. I mean, unless Kyoya wants to assassinate me? Ugh, whatever. I'm overthinking this. It's just cake. Right?

No. Maybe I really shouldn't just eat this. It could be poisoned. Well if it were poisoned, it'd be too late now. I've already had a bite. Crap! Am I an idiot or what? What if this is actually a ploy by the kidnappers? Like I'll pass out in like two hours or something?

So, I ended up not eating the rest of the cake.

* * *

><p>It was the third week of school after summer break, and I had a massive headache. It was a weird headache that spiked up whenever I moved my head too much.<p>

I held my head steady, resting my chin against the palm of my hand. It was break time before the fourth class.

"You okay, Rika?" Mitsukuni asked as he stood by my desk with a worried look.

I nodded. "Just a headache."

He placed his hand on my forehead. "You don't have a fever though."

"It's just a headache," I repeated, pulling his hand away with just a bit of exasperation. "I'm probably just tired. It's fine."

"Are you sure?" He leaned closer.

"Stop worrying about me. I'm fine," I snapped irritably. Ugh, what is with me? Why is Mitsukuni annoying me these days? It's just the headache. I shook my head slowly. Just the headache. This thing needs to go asap. Maybe a nap after school will help…

But actually, a nap after school didn't help. I dozed a bit in the Chess Club, much to Minoru's disappointment, and only played a brief game with Tomiko. She was one of the better chess players and seemed to get along with Minoru.

About half-way through club activities, I ditched the Chess Club for the Host Club. There, I lied down on a couch in the backroom and promptly fell asleep.

I woke up with a dark pink bunny blanket tucked around me. Huh? I sat up, and immediately sent the world spinning. I dropped back down and rolled onto my back. Damn headache. I should just go home, instead of waiting for Mitsukuni.

"You're awake!"

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if that was Mitsukuni. But it wasn't Mitsukuni. It was Hayakawa Ayako.

I shot up which only caused a sharp flare in my head. I groaned, clutching my head with both hands.

"Try not to move too much," she said, handing me a cup of hot tea with a sympathetic smile.

I sipped the tea hesitantly. What am I doing these days? Eating cake from anonymous admirers and drinking tea from an enemy? "What are you doing here?" I asked after the pain had lessened slightly.

She chuckled, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, your headache is kinda my fault."

I knew it. She is an enemy.

"You see, Suzume… well, it's not entirely her fault." She stared at her lap, stumbling over her words. "But, she-she doesn't like you, and she just thought. Ah, how can I put it? She bought this thing from the Black Magic Club. You've heard of it, right?"

I nodded. It was infamous at Ouran.

"Yeah, she bought this potion thing. I guess it worked. Well, maybe it didn't."

A potion. Great. A headache-inducing potion.

Hayakawa glanced at me nervously. "Look, it's supposed to, um, make your current feelings of love, uh, fade away. Like disappear. Poof."

Poof. Great way to describe it. Just great. My feelings of love? This is so cheesy. Ugh, feelings of love. So my feelings for Mitsukuni? Really, this is just great.

"I don't get it," I said, shaking my head slowly. "How does it work?"

"It's, um, magic." She was watching me with a very anxious look.

"That's impossible," I replied.

"Headaches, migraines, dizziness, and nausea are all common side effects of the potion," Hayakawa said.

"How did I drink this potion in the first place?" I asked.

She cleared her throat and looked away. "Well. You know that box you got? Like two weeks ago? With the chocolate cake and that note from an admirer."

Oh.

"Yeah, that was from Suzume. And me! It-It's not entirely her fault!"

I think it is.

"Does she know you're telling me all these things?" I asked, playing with the soft blanket over me. This was totally Mitsukuni's.

"No. She'd be mad if she knew," Hayakawa said. She stood. "Anyway, I thought that maybe we could go to the Black Magic Club. They should have some potion reversal thing right?"

I shook my head. "It's fine."

"Fine?" She squinted at me as if I'd gone crazy. "You don't care that you - I mean, you like Honey right?"

I nodded.

"And you don't mind that you don't anymore? Well, do you like him right now?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I thought he was a bit annoying these past few days."

She stood thinking for a moment before saying, "Hang on." She ran out of the backroom and soon came back with Mitsukuni in tow. "Experiment. What would make you normally blush or heart skip or all those fluffy things?"

Mitsukuni stood in front of me, shuffling his feet and glancing around. He must have been told by Hayakawa about the situation. At least, I'd hope he knew. I wasn't feeling up to doing anything but sleeping and getting that nasty headache out.

"Come on, Hayashi-san. Please think of something," Hayakawa said. She was awfully persistent about this. Why did she care anyway? Wasn't she a fan of Honey? Wasn't this a big chance for her to sweep in and take Mitsukuni?

No! Mitsukuni's mine!

Some very quiet voice inside me said that. So I thought for a moment, trying to push through all that buzzing in my head.

"Um. Hugging. Kissing," I said.

"Ki-Kissing?" Hayakawa repeated weakly. Her voice squeaked in an almost amusing manner. "You-You two have… kissed? Or-"

Mitsukuni and I exchanged gazes, and I shrugged.

"That means you have, right?" she said, glancing quickly between the two of us. "Wow. Are you two, um, dating?"

Mitsukuni nodded. "Please don't tell anyone, Aya-chan!"

"Then, please hug her!" Hayakawa said, pointing at me.

Was that like a condition? I won't tell anyway that you two are dating, if you'll hug her. What? This is so strange. Everything's all in slow-mo. What if I pass out? Huh.

Mitsukuni came to my side slowly and stretched out a hand. "Rika?" His voice was gentle and warm, but nothing really special happened to me. Was I supposed to blush from that?

I took his hand anyway, because I'd done it before. Then I carefully came to stand on my feet.

He grinned at me. Hm. Nope. No blushing yet. Then he pulled me into a tight hug. Yup, still no blushing. It feels nice, like being hugged by a friend. I guess.

"Nothing," I said in a rather monotonous manner.

"Nothing?" Mitsukuni whispered.

I nodded. "Sorry."

"Um, maybe try kissing her?" Hayakawa suggested quietly.

"No thanks," I said with a careful shake of my head.

"The potion worked," he said to no one in particular. He stared at the ground, eyes wide and stiff. "It. Worked."

"Don't worry, Honey!" Hayakawa said loudly. "We'll undo it!"

"It's fine if you can't," I replied. She was being very nice and going through lots of trouble just to undo this potion. I didn't really see why though. Just cause I wasn't blushing from a hug? It was a bit too much. Completely overrated. Besides, blushing is embarrassing. Maybe this is actually better?

"No no no!" She shook her head fiercely. "I-I did this! I have to undo this! Hayashi-san, if we undo this, your headache will go away!"

"Really?" I whirled at her which only cause my head to burst. I grabbed the nearest thing - Mitsukuni - and steadied myself. "Ow." Yeah, getting rid of this headache is much more reasonable than gaining some silly feelings of love. What did it feel like anyway? Do I want it back? It seems like a heap of trouble.

"Come on! We're going to the Black Magic Club! Now!"

* * *

><p>The door creaked open to reveal a dark room, dimly lit by candles splashed throughout the place.<p>

"Welcome to the Black Magic Club!" the well-known club president said, sweeping his arm in a gesture. "Oh! It's Honey-senpai! And Hayakawa-senpai! Have you two come to visit?"

"No," Hayakawa said with a firm shake of her head. "We need a potion or something that will reverse the effects of another potion."

"Hm, do you mean the Love Destroying Potion your friend bought a while ago?" Nekozawa Umehito asked.

"Yes!"

Mitsukuni took my hand and smiled at me. Um, no. Don't just take my hand as you please. Maybe I should pull my hand away. But he seems awfully frightened. Like a little kid watching a scary movie, or listening to a ghost story. I think holding my hand is a way for him to not be so scared, so I'll keep holding his hand then.

"There's not exactly a general Reversal Potion," Nekozawa said. "But we do have love potions! Would you like to try that?"

Hayakawa glanced back at the two of us. Mitsukuni turned to me.

"What?" I said.

"What do you think?" Hayakawa asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Just do something please to make these headaches stop."

"Ah, the effects of the potion." Nekozawa smiled. "That means it was a success! Excellent!"

"It is not excellent!" Hayakawa and I yelled at the same time.

"It hurts," I added.

"It does," Hayakawa agreed. I gave her a confused look, and she quickly said, "In a, um, more emotional way."  
>"How?" I asked.<p>

Mitsukuni's hand tightened on mine. Geez, man! Are you trying to break a finger? Can't you be more gentle? Ugh, this kid is such a pain!

"Please do something!" Hayakawa said. "You made the potion. You should be able to make one that undos whatever you did."

"I'll see what I can do," Nekozawa replied. His little puppet sailed through the air. Aw, it was cute.

"_Now_, please." Man, Hayakawa sure is desperate. Maybe she can actually feel my headaches?

I leaned on Mitsukuni for support. I felt like I was bobbing up and down in some rough waters, completely disorientated. And my head still hurt. Great. Triple great.

The rest of the Black Magic Club twittered around us for a moment before showing us to some seats. We waited for a looong time before Nekozawa returned, carrying a beaker like glass in his hand.

"Try this, um…"

"Hayashi Rika," Mitsukuni said.

"Ah, Hayashi-senpai!" Nekozawa handed me the glass. "Go on!"

What is this. Am I a guinea pig? How does he know this will work? Mitsukuni squeezed my hand. Again! Come on! My fingers aren't made of metal here!

"Please try it, Hayashi-san," Hayakawa said.

"Drink it all?" I asked. Nekozawa nodded. Well, if this will cure the headaches. Here goes! I chugged the potion down.

The disorientation faded quickly, and that was definitely an improvement. My head didn't feel like it was blowing up every second, but there was still an ache in it. I shook my head rapidly. _Boom!_ There goes a mini nuke in my head. That really really hurts!

"Ow," I said.

"Didn't work?" Hayakawa asked. She was cringing.

"I feel a bit better," I replied. "But my head still hurts." I held the glass back out towards Nekozawa. "Please try again, Nekozawa-san."

"Hm. Okay." He took the glass and waltzed away.

I sighed, leaning my head on Mitsukuni's shoulder. He glanced at me and smiled. Yeah, smile all you want. You're just a ball of grins and smiles. My head hurts like hell and you just smile. Why am I so irritable? Ugh, I hate it when I'm like this.

I closed my eyes. I drifted a bit but didn't completely fall asleep. Hayakawa and Mitsukuni were both quiet.

"Here you go! Try this, Hayashi-senpai!" Nekozawa's voice woke me up with a jolt. I glanced around in confusion for a moment before noticing the steaming glass being held before me. It looked very, _very_ suspicious. I couldn't quite tell what color the liquid was thanks to the poor lighting, but it definitely wasn't clear. It looked rather milky and opaque, and there were bubbles.

"Please drink it," Hayakawa said. "It'll get rid of your headaches."

"This time for sure?" I asked, taking the glass with a weary gaze. I just really wanted to sleep.

Nekozawa nodded. "This one should work."

Emphasis on the word "should." I glanced at Mitsukuni who just smiled at me. Come on, man, you could at least say something!

"It'll be okay," he said quietly.

Somehow, that was reassuring, so I downed the peculiar drink in a few seconds. There was a sour aftertaste and my throat burned. But, the world seemed to clear.

I shook my head again several times and harshly. Nothing. Not a speck of pain. I turned to Mitsukuni with an excited grin.

"It worked?" he asked. When I nodded, his eyes widened. "Yay!" He hugged me again, pulling me close tightly.

I relaxed in his arms and just felt that steady presence. I smiled. My cheeks heated up just a bit. The potion had worked. That gloriously warm and fluffy feeling began spreading through me. It felt like I was floating amongst clouds with gentle sun rays and a peaceful silence. I felt loved, like I was someone precious. How could I have not wanted this potion? How could I have forgotten what this felt like?

"Wow. You really do blush when he hugs you."

I hadn't realized I'd shut my eyes. When I opened them, I found Hayakawa gaping at the two of us. Ohhh, talk about embarrassing! I burned an even brighter red as Mitsukuni let go.

"It really did work!" he yelled, grinning.

"Yay! Success!" Nekozawa joined in, hopping about the club room. The other members clapped and began chatting eagerly.

I smiled at him. "Yeah."

"A-Are you glad?" Hayakawa asked.

"Yeah," I replied with a nod. "Definitely. But, um, Hayakawa-san, it sounded like most of it was Ashika-san's fault. What did you have to do with this?"

She frowned. "I could have stopped her, but I didn't. I went with her to buy the potion. I helped her arrange poisoning the cake with the potion. I helped her out. And, later I regretted it. So that's why I came and told you two. I didn't want - I've seen you two together. You guys look really happy, and I didn't want to ruin that." She bit her lip, staring at her feet.

"Thank you," I said.

She looked up and smiled back. "I'm sorry for what I did."

"It's not your fault, Aya-chan!" Mitsukuni said, grinning in that Host Club way. "And thanks for helping us out!"

She nodded. "I'll try and persuade Suzume to give up. Hosts make bad boyfriends anyway, no offense, Hayashi-san."

"None taken," I replied.

Hayakawa smiled, then stood. "I'll be going then. Thank you, Nekozawa-san."

"It was nothing," Nekozawa said as we stood to join them.

"Oh wait, Hayakawa-san," I said. "Who wrote the letter?"

"That was Suzume," she replied.

"What letter?" Mitsukuni asked me curiously.

I glanced at him. "I'll tell you later." Hayakawa left first, exiting out into the bright hallway. "We're leaving too," I said. I checked my watch. "What? Club activities are already almost over."

"Yeah," Mitsukuni said.

"But the Host Club-"

"It's okay. I told Tama-chan and Kyo-chan," he replied. "We should go too. Thank you, Neko-chan."

I giggled. "Neko-chan, how cute. Thanks, Nekozawa-san."

He nodded and waved us goodbye. "Come back and visit!"

* * *

><p>"Sorry if I was a bit rude before," I said.<p>

"It's okay. It's okay," Mitsukuni replied. "What was it like? Did you feel different?"

"Like before I drank that other potion?" I asked. He nodded. "Um, well, you were a bit annoying. And I didn't like you that much. I thought you were a little kid." I chuckled nervously. "It was strange."

He stared at the hallway before us. "I'm glad. I'm glad that's not the way things are."

"I agree," I said, smiling. "It's better this way. I like things like this."

He grinned. "Yeah!"

* * *

><p><strong>So, anyone remember how I said chapter 29 (the confession one) was the story's climax? Well in a way, this story has 2 plot lines. The first is Honey and Rika's relationship, which reached its climax on ch 29. Here's the reason why I thought it was the climax: Rika could have chosen not to tell Honey she liked him. If she'd held out a bit longer, Honey would have stopped cause he wouldn't push her that much. And then he wouldn't ask her for a very long time. Basically their relationship probably would have taken longer to reach this kind of point.<strong>

**Second plot is the kidnapping one, which is related to family drama. This story will be ending when the kidnapping business comes to an end. And, it seems there will be another 20 or so chapters before it ends. Plus I'm planning 4 other bonus epilogue stories.**

**So what'd you think of this chapter? What do you think of Umari Etsuko? Hehe, she'll be appearing in the next chapter too. And is this Nekozawa worthy of his canon character? Any more character opinion changes?**

***Note: The idea that Mori's cake be tall, with more than one layer, came from KatHAT. Thanks for the clever idea! :D***

**That's all for now! Thank you for reading! :)**


	45. Omake: Emails with the gang

**Hey so this isn't really a chapter. It's an omake! Basically a bonus little side story! Sorry it's not a double update. :P But I hope you'll like this just as much! This is to thank ya'll for the over 400 reviews! :D It's amazing. I really didn't expect this story to become... like this. Thank you all so much! ^-^ For reading, for reviewing, for following, and favoriting! You are all such lovely and amazing readers. **

**Also, this is chapter 45! :O A special number! Jk, it's not that special. Anywho... I'll leave review replies to next chapter. I'm surprised no one asked about the beginning part in the last chapter. If you didn't know (it wasn't that clear) those quotations things were separate emails Rika received from each gang member. Surely you can tell who sent which one? If not, here you go:**

**Akane: Cake, Ryota: 1/2 Prince (it really does exist!), Mikiya: Chess program, Mina: Little sis love Yuuta**

**And so this omake is continuing the story of the emails. Italics means in English. Quotations are each email, and sometimes the emails sent aren't just ABAB. There's also A A B. If that makes sense. Hope it does! Thank you all! Hope you like this! :D**

* * *

><p>"You're kidding right? Your sis is in love with Yuu-chan?!"<p>

"I know right? T_T Help me Rika! Should I tell Ryota or not?"

"But if you tell him, won't he tell Yuu-chan? Then Yuu-chan might be creeped out by your sis, and your sis will be stuck in unrequited love!"

"You're right! Then I should tell him!"

"Noooo! Mina, don't! Let your sister crush on him!"

"I can't believe she'd like Yuu-chan though. Isn't he younger than her?"

"Yeah. Guess she prefers younger guys .-. At least the age difference is only one year."

"So you haven't told him?"

"I can't! It's too hard! I'm scared he'll yell at me!"

"It's just Ryota."

"For you maybe! He'd never yell at you!"

"Yeah right. We used to argue the most."

"Well, maybe you argued with him more, at least in the beginning."

"Cause he used to bully Mikiya!"

"I know."

"I'm gonna ask Akane to tell him."

"No, you really shouldn't! Let her live out her youth!"

"What youth? She's such a brat! Yuuta-kun needs to be warned! Or he'll get pounced."

"Mina! That's your little sis you're talking about!"

"n I don't care. I'm gonna go talk to Akane now."

"Why'd you even ask for my advice then? -_- Tell me what happens!"

* * *

><p>"Minnie's asking me to tell Goof about her little sis crushing on Yuuta-kun."<p>

"Are you gonna do it?"

"Yeah."

"Akane!"

"What? It's not guaranteed that Goof will tell Yuuta-kun."

"He totally will!"

"We'll see."

* * *

><p>"She told him, Rika! And Ryota was really really surprised! His mouth dropped open and his eyes got really big. It was kinda funny actually. I don't think he's going to tell Yuuta-kun though."<p>

"Good. Has Ryota met your sister though?"

"Yes. They all just met her a week or so ago when they came over to find me."

"What's she like now? I only remember her babyface way lol."

"She's still kinda like that actually. She's got really long straight black hair and she's taller than me! So not fair! She's a snob though, bratty and yet somehow popular. Oh, Akane said she's like the typical bully leader… That's not good at all!"

"No it really isn't. Is Ryota gonna tell Yuu-chan then?"

"I don't know. He ran out of the clubroom and Akane and Mikiya are looking for him right now."

"Hm…"

* * *

><p>"Ryota! Answer my email please!"<p>

"Duuude, Mina's bratty sis likes Yuuta!"

"I've heard. What are you gonna do about it? You won't tell Yuu-chan, right?"

"Should I? It's not exactly my business but I think it's the first time I've heard of a girl crushing on Yuuta."

"No way it's the first time! He's handsome and nice and cute and smart!"

"It's weird to hear that from you..."

"Besides Mina's sis isn't that bad. What was her name?"

"I think it's Makina or Marina or Mapina something."

"It's not Makina! Or the rest of that! Where'd you get those names from?"

"How do you know? And she is bad! Terrible!"

* * *

><p>"Hey Mina. What's your sister's name?"<p>

"Mari."

"And just how bad is she?"

"Terrible! She's snobby and doesn't understand modesty at all! She think she's some kind of supermodel and makes people wait for her all the time! She's late to everything! And she's picky! And spends all her money on clothes and makeup and jewelry! And then she gets more money! She spends hours in the bathroom! She's annoying!"

"You sure have a lot to say about your little sis."

"She's annoying… Ask Akane, she'll tell you the same."

* * *

><p>"Hey Akane, what do you think of Mina's sister?"<p>

"She's okay. A bit annoying and spoiled."

"She's not terrible?"

"She is, a bit. I don't know. I think it'd be cool to have a sibling, though. I want a little sister! Rika be my little sister!"

"Lol sure."

* * *

><p>"The name's Mari. And I'm positive there's been at least one other person that's crushed on Yuu-chan before."<p>

"Well I've never heard of such things."

"It must be because he doesn't tell you, hahaha."

"That's not true! He'd totally tell me!"

"I doubt it. I bet he's scared you'll go and yell at the girls hahaha. You're such an overprotective brother hahaha."

"Stop laughing like that! It's annoying! Believe me! He probably just doesn't know a girl likes him!"

"You wanna bet? Hahaha. Does he have an email? Hahaha. Can I have it? Hahaha."

"No! God you're annoying!"

"He doesn't have an email? No wonder no girls are crushing on him…"

"Yes he does but I'm not giving it to you!"

"Tsk. Scared I'll find out he's already gotten a confession?"

"Rikaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Ryotaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

":("

":)"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what? ^-^"  
>"I forgot how annoying you can be."<p>

"Tee hee!"

"..."

"What kind of lame email is that?"

"Fine. I'll go ask someone else."

"No!"

* * *

><p>"Hey Akane, you have Yuu-chan's email?"<p>

"Yeah. Want it?"

"Yes! Thank you Onee-chan!"

"!"  
>"What, Akane? Didn't you say I was your younger sis?"<p>

"Yes but that sounds kinda weird. It makes me seem old."

"Lol okay Akane. You can just stay Akane. Or would you prefer Ice Queen?"

"I'm not going to give you the email now…"

"Akane! No! Please!"

"Jk, here you go."

* * *

><p>"I got the email! ;D"<p>

"You're evil. Akane is evil. She has betrayed me."

"Lol are you with Akane right now?"

"No but who else would you ask for the email?"

"Haha you know us so well! So where are you right now?"

"On top of the roof building thing. You know, where you go sometimes."

"And Mikiya and Akane still haven't found you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you run out of the clubroom? Mina said Mikiya and Akane were looking for you."

"No I can see Akane sitting in a tree with her phone. Mikiya might actually be looking for me though."

* * *

><p>"Mikiya! Are you looking for Ryota?"<p>

"Yeah. Do you know where he is?"

"You should just stop. I don't think he'll be telling Yuu-chan."

"You know about it too?!"

"Yup, Mina told me!"

"Of course she would. So how was the chess thing? Did you try it out?"

"Yeah! It was pretty easy. It looked really cool though!"

"Sweet! I'll try and get it to be harder. Thanks!"

"Yup! So how's it going with you and Mina?"

"Rika!"

"What? Come on. You guys have kissed at least right?"

"Of course we have!"

"Hehe. And? Gone any farther?"

"Rika!"

"Come on! You guys have been together for such a looong time!"

"Ugh. You ask the same things as Akane does."

"Haha, we're on the same wavelength! ;)"

"So I can see."

* * *

><p>"Mikiya was looking for you."<p>

"Of course he would be. That guy's too naive for his own good."

"So you won't tell Yuu-chan?"

"Fine I won't! Don't email him, okay?"

"Okay! I haven't emailed him yet. Are you happy now?"

"No (҂⌣̀_⌣́)"

"Cute!"

"What is?"

"You are!"

"Tsk."

"Fine, I'll stop bothering you. Bye!"

"Bye."

* * *

><p>"How good is your English reading? Wanna try?"<p>

"Sure! I'll try writing back in English too!"

_"Okay. How are you, Rika?"_

_"That is boring!"_

_"You're boring! Fine, what's up?"_

_"Nothing much. Why else do you think I am emailing you?"_

_"Not bad, Rika!"_

"_Really? Cool!_ That's probably cause Ouran's got a good English program!"

"_Not because of my teaching?_ :("

"_That too._ ^-^"

* * *

><p>"Hey Yuu-chan! It's Rika! How are you doing?"<p>

"Sorry for the late reply, Rika-nee. I had basketball practice. And then there was dinner cause Onii-chan's such a stickler on eating dinner together. Now I'm supposed to be doing homework, hehe. I'm doing well! How about you?"

"Wow you're on the basketball team? Are you going to play in high school too?"

"It's not that incredible. Our team isn't very good. Onii-chan doesn't like me playing basketball. He says I should save time and study instead so I can go to a better high school. But Akawari is good enough for me. I might play in high school. It depends on whether I can get in."

"Yeah Akawari is good! Haha, I bet you've got a lot of admirers since you play basketball. ;)"

"What? No way!"

"No? How is that possible? You've never gotten a confession before? Or some girl crushing on you?"

"Well actually there was this one girl."

"And?"

"Rika-nee!"

"Come on, you can tell me. ^-^"

"Fine. It was very obvious that she liked me and so our friendship got very awkward. I never gave her the chance to confess either. I feel so bad for her. T-T"

"So you rejected her?"

"What else was I gonna do?"

"How come I haven't heard about this from anyone in the gang?"

"There's no way I can tell Onii-chan!"

"Why not? He's not going to beat up a girl. I think."

"It's really not that important."

"Really? I bet he'd like to know about this stuff."

"Nah. Not really. Please don't tell him, Rika-nee!"

"I won't. Then what do you two talk about? It's not just Ryota complaining is it? Or about your mom?"

"No no Onii-chan doesn't complain that much! And Mom isn't as much trouble as she used to be. Onii-chan talks a lot about the gang. And before that he used to talk a lot about you. And now he's started talking about college and high school. I think he's looking into the future more."

"That's good then. What do you say to him then?"

"School stuff like if our team wins or loses. He comes to see almost all our games! Sometimes Akane-senpai and rest of the gang comes too. It's fun."

"I wanna see you play basketball too!"

"Haha you need to come over then."

"I will someday." 

* * *

><p><strong>Whatcha think? :) Thank you all! Hope you have a lovely weekend. Thanks for reading! :D<strong>


	46. The Chess Tournament, sigh

**Karnevalfreak59: **Lol your plans... I think your horror story would be truly horrific. :D Thank you!

**AwakenedSecrets: **Well actually she still would have gone on the trip with Mitsukuni. That option was more of whether or not I should write the tour with the gang. Haha, I'm so glad you enjoyed the omake! :) And you laughed! That's great! Is Ryota your fave out of the gang? Thank you for reading this and reviewing for every chapter! o((*^▽^*))o

**Farrafelpies:** Yay! Nekozawa is a fun character. ^-^ Lol, thank you for the review!

**hotbibl:** Really? That's interesting. I think most people don't see him as a kid either. Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D

**Hime1234:** Thank you so much for your kind words! Hehe, glad you liked Nekozawa! :)

**Otakugirl119:** Nekozawa seems to be very popular lol. ^-^ Thank you for the review!

**Lizi Rose:** Hello! Thanks for reading! ｡^‿^｡ And for your review!

**candymoon2315:** Lol you don't have to use Mitsukuni since it is long and a pain to type. Your English is good! Great reaction! Thank you! :D Chicken memory, cute! Thanks for the lovely review!

**Jewelsy426: **Not sure if Nekozawa will show up again, but since he's popular maybe. ( ＾∇＾) Thanks for the feedback! Good luck with school! Fighting! You can do it!

**Guest: **Thank you! (〜￣▽￣)〜 Hugs... Thanks for reading!

**Strawberry Neko: **Turdbag, lol. What do you think of fluff in this chappie? Thank you so much! You're one of the ones who's been reading and reviewing for a long time. I really appreciate it! :D Still call yourself a hopeless romantic? Haha, I see you're the wise one in your buddy group! That's pretty nice. It means you're dependable!

**AnimeBestie:** I'm glad you liked the recommendations! The Love Live! thing sounds really interesting (plus it's short) so I'll definitely watch it once I'm back. And I've started reading Love So Life. It's so cute! :D The twins are adorable! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ (Fufu, what do you think of that emoticon?) Plus the art is great! What did you think of Last Game and Gakuen Babysitter? Weren't the kids so cute in Gakuen Babysitter? What do you think of this: (¬‿¬) Haha. Anywho, suggestions: Gakuen Alice is pretty good (romance, magic, friendship, completed). I'm reading Rockin' Heaven right now, pretty good. The art is nice (eyes are huge though!) and completed. Orange Marmalade is popular (read a bit but not really my style).

Okay, so originally, I went on a craaaazy rant continuing half of my shoujo reading list lol. But, so you don't have to read a nasty block of words, I decided to delete it. To find new manga, you can brows through mangahere (I read manga on this site, it's great!) or myanimelist is also good for manga and anime. What kind of genres do you like? Other than romance. If you give me a list, I can give you better recommendations, lol. Instead of just listing all the stuff I've read before. Do you like genderbending (Ouran is in that genre)? Or angst? Fluff? Do you like shonen stuff? Fighting stuff? Fights are great and epic! :D In my opinion... Great, now this is as long as the manga list haha.

Okay, I'm stopping now. Once you make an account, I can give you an intense list of mangas to read. ^-^ This is sooo long haha. HaruhiXTamaki pairing all the way! I don't mind Mori pairing, but KyoyaXHaruhi fanfics are usually kinda... scary. Cause Kyoya's personality... I don't know. What do you think? That sucks that there's so little manga in your area. It's okay. The power of the internet! (´ヮ`) At least you've got otaku buddies. No, you aren't conceited cause conceited peeps are arrogant. And you're not arrogant. Besides, it's fun to hear about other people! :D Thank you! Your reviews are a blast! I'm considering another story... depends on school haha. Thanks again!

**Sherlockianyepguest:** I haven't noticed the lack of swear words... Good point though! :) Thank you for your review! Get some sleep, lol.

**DaPandaGirl:** You... Logged... In?! ⊙０⊙ Lol jk, thank you very much! You've also been reading and reviewing for a long time. I truly appreciate it! :)

**PhoenixOtaku:** Crazy manager thing, lol. XD Glad you liked Nekozawa and the omake! Thank you a lot for reading and reviewing! :D And yes, the italics were in English.

**aaa17:** So glad you liked the Minoru part! :D There's more coming. Hope you like it! Thank you for your lovely review!

**Georginagreen16:** Hello! If you've caught up to this part, great! Thanks so much for reviewing! ^-^

**^That was long... Thank you all very much! :D You guys are the best! Now, here's the (long) chapter! Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>With Tamaki's cake finally done, Kyoya could begin his advertising. Tamaki's cake was round with white frosting. In between the yellow cake layers was French vanilla ice cream peppered by thin strawberry slices. The top was decorated with two chocolate red hearts tucked behind a golden crown near the edge. Tamaki's white rose sat in the center, with raspberries lining the bottom of the cake.<p>

"I love the crown!" Tamaki said, arms flung in the air.

"Cause you're the king?" I asked with a smirk.

He nodded and then proceeded to twirl about. Kyoya pushed up his glasses and smiled. "Then, Rika, let's discuss how the cakes should be sold."

For a large portion of that afternoon, I spent it chatting with Kyoya. We planned out the order we'd be releasing the cakes. Mitsukuni's was first, and then Takashi's. After that was Kyoya, Tamaki, the twins, and then Haruhi's. We'd release a cake a week and provide free slices of the cake to that particular host's guest. For example, the first week, all Mitsukuni's guests would be able to eat a slice of his cake for the duration of the week. The next week, all Takashi's guests could have a slice of his cake.

It was agreed that Kyoya would mainly sell by slice, since girls probably wouldn't eat entire cakes. Hayashi Sweets would also sell by slice and whole. For the first week that cake was released, it'd only be purchasable from Kyoya. The week after, when another cake was being released, it would be available at any Hayashi Sweets shop.

"Pretty great right?" I asked, pleased with our plan.

Kyoya nodded. "This will be excellent for our club's profit."

"How'd it go?" Mitsukuni asked once the Host Club had ended.

"Good!" I replied. I grabbed my school bag. "Are we going to go now?"

"You guys are all carpooling together now, right?" Haruhi asked. I nodded. Since I lived right next to Mitsukuni, why not save some gas? Besides, sometimes the Chess Club ran as late as the Host Club.

For the rest of that week, I spent most of my Host Club time with Kyoya. After school, if it wasn't playing chess, it was talking with Kyoya or doing homework. We planned out some finer details about the cakes and the advertisement. I also had to talk to my dad's secretary about these cakes. It was a big pain in the butt.

On Friday, Kyoya began the advertising. We wouldn't start releasing cakes until the week after, so we'd have an entire week to generate excitement and anticipation.

It was also Friday that Umari Etsuko appeared at the Host Club doors once again.

I was heading over after the Chess Club. There were really only twenty or so more minutes left of club time. I opened the door and found her standing nearby, yelling.

"-so fake! How can you guys stand it?! It's totally an act! It's so obviously an act!" she screeched.

"Umari-san, please come this way," Tamaki was saying, gesturing towards the door. They were too gentlemanly to just pick her up and throw her out.

"You can't say such things to Honey!" Ashika started yelling back. She leapt to her feet with a glare. "You barely know him! You can't judge him after only watching for an hour! You have no right to!"

Most of the other girls in the Host Club nodded in agreement. Umari had chosen the wrong group to fight. Fangirls can be crazily defensive about the things/people they like.

"And you know him?" Umari said. "You guys don't talk about anything serious. Do you know what he likes? Do you know what he's scared of? Have you even seen him out of this school?"

"Takashi has," I said.

She whirled to face me, glaring venomously. "You again! What is wrong with all of you?!"

More like what is wrong with you?

"What is wrong with _you_?!" Ashika asked. Drats. I wish I could have said that.

"That's enough, Ashika-san," Tamaki said drifting to her side. "Thank you for standing up for our Honey-senpai."

I took Umari's hand. "Please, let's discuss this in the hallway."

"No way!" She stomped her foot, but I dragged her out anyway. The moment the door closed behind me, she jerked away. "What are you doing?"

"What does Mitsukuni like? The color pink, bunnies, cute things, cake, sweets, his friends, and his family. What is he scared of? Scary stories and losing his loved ones. And yes, I have seen him out of school."

Her eyes narrowed. "What's your point? Hayashi-san."

"It's fine if you hate him," I said. "But it's not fine to go around yelling at him. Mitsukuni doesn't hate you; he probably never will. So can't you just keep your hate to yourself? It's not his fault that you hate him."

She gnashed her teeth together in irritation. "Oh, you are so blind! Can't you see how fake he is? There's no way someone can be so childish at an age like that! Or eat so much cake and candy! It's just impossible!"

"It is not!" I replied hotly, leaning closer towards her. "It's just the way he is! If you can't accept that, then fine! Just leave him alone! Ignore him! Don't bother h-"

Her hand flew so quickly that I didn't have time to react. Within a second, my cheek was burning and not from embarrassment. I reached a hand up to gingerly touch my stinging cheek.

"Ouch," I said numbly.

"You're an idiot!" she yelled. "I hate you! I hate anyone that likes that Honey!"

I let her words roll around in my mind for a moment, then I smiled. "Then how can you hate me? I don't like Mitsukuni."

She blinked, all anger melting away from her face. "What?" That expression was priceless. It was a distorted mix of surprise, confusion, and idiocy. "B-But you've been standing up to him all along…"

"Yes, I have, but I don't like him," I said. I rubbed my cheek. Would it swell up? This was an interesting experience. I'd never been slapped before.

Suddenly, Umari smirked. "Why don't you say that to his face?" She was staring somewhere behind me.

I turned, even though I already knew who would be standing there. His mouth was slack and his eyes wide.

"You… don't like me?" he asked in a whisper.

"Bye!" Umari squealed happily. I heard her skip away giddily.

"Um, no, Mitsukuni, I don't like you," I said slowly. I stepped closer towards him as I picked out the right words. "I, uh, l-love you." His shocked expression was instantly replaced with flushed cheeks.

"A-Ah," he mumbled. I couldn't help but blush with him.

I giggled. "It was a loophole in her words. Besides her expression was priceless."

He stared up at me with that blank look before grinning. Then he tilted his head and poked my red cheek. "Um, what happened?"

"It's nothing," I said with a shake of my head.

"Did she hurt you?" he asked. His eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"It was a slap," I replied. I smiled. "It's weird huh? But I'm not mad because people get slapped a lot in mangas, and this is my first time getting slapped." I chuckled, shrugging. "I don't know why but I feel like I'm in a manga now."

Mitsukuni frowned. "Please don't get hurt for my sake."

"How was it for your sake?" I asked.

"Well, the one she hates is me, not you," he said. "But you got hurt instead. It's my fault, right?"

"Hey, she was the one who slapped me. It's not your fault," I said, taking his hand. "Come on. You should probably go back in. Isn't the Host Club ending soon?"

He nodded with a smile. "Let's go then."

Actually, though I wouldn't dare tell anyone, when I'd been listing off what Mitsukuni liked, I'd been very, very tempted to say the word "Me." It would have been true after all, right?

* * *

><p>And like that, August ended, and September began. The air cooled, and leaves began to make their descent. It was the very first of September that the Chess Tournament began.<p>

Saturday morning, I was ushered up, dressed up, and then tossed into Minoru's car. He smiled. He was sitting across from me, wearing a black jacket and white collar shirt. It was a casual formal outfit with black pants and dress shoes. "Good morning, Rika-san."

I yawned. "I really don't know why I agreed to this."

"Because you want to spend more time with me?" he asked, smirking.

I made a face. "Of course, Funaki-san, you know me so well. It's like you can just read my mind!" My eyes widened in fake shock.

"You're fun," he said.

I sighed, leaning back and closing my eyes. "Wake me when we're there." It was way too early in the morning. It was only eight! Who the hell wants to wake up at seven in the morning to play chess with a bunch of rich brats?!

I felt a bit of wind against my left ear and tensed. "You know it's not good to fall asleep like this."

"Be quiet."

I felt him settle down beside me. "You're rude."

"I'm rude to people I don't like."

"Right, cause if you were like this to Haninozuka, he wouldn't like you, right?"

Can I hit him? Can I hiiiit him?!

I kept my eyes shut firmly. Let's think of something else. Yup, let's just go to sleep. A nap. I'm tired. Yes, I'm tired. I'm going to fall asleep now.

I drifted a bit between conscious and sleep. Minoru was surprisingly silent. Then I felt a light pressure on my shoulder.

You have got to be kidding me…

I stayed still, just in case he was messing with me - which he probably was anyway. The pressure didn't lift. It shifted, becoming heavier.

Damn you! Even Mitsukuni hasn't slept on my shoulder yet! You do not have permission to-

I jerked up, knocking his head off. "Funaki!"

He grinned at me. "So you aren't asleep."

"How can I sleep when there's an elephant on my shoulder?!" I demanded, glaring at him. He stuck a tongue out.

"What elephant? I don't see one," he said.

I kept up my glare. "Don't do that. Ever again."

"Why not?" he asked. "Don't like it?"

"I don't. I don't like anything you do. If you'd just stay quiet and still, I'd be happy," I replied.

He took a deep breath. "Fine."

"Fine?" I tilted my head. What did he mean by that?

"I'll stay quiet and still, so you can be happy," he said, staring straight ahead with his arms crossed.

Damn. If he really pulls it off, I'll feel guilty. And a bit embarrassed. And maybe even a bit moved. Well, first, let's see if he can pull it off.

"Please do," I said, relaxing back into the seat. I closed my eyes and let myself drift again.

* * *

><p>My opponent was some girl from a private school in Kyoto. We were sitting in one huge room, painted a soft lime-green color. There were rows and rows of tables and chairs, and chess sets on each one. It was a lot like the Chess Club except ten times larger. There was an audience booth crowded with teachers, family, and friends.<p>

This was only preliminaries. If you win every round, in total, you'd play three games. Well, let's not exhaust my brain power. I should be able to beat this girl easily enough, but I can't let my guard down either.

We were given an hour to win. If neither side had won by the end of the hour, both would be eliminated.

At about forty minutes in, I saw Minoru lean back in his seat. His opponent had a bewildered look, like a deer caught in the headlights. He must have won. A judge came over and wrote something down. Judges were pacing around to make sure cheating didn't occur and to answer any questions.

I turned in my seat and located Hatsumi pretty quickly. She had a smile on her face and seemed to be playing quite calmly. She would, no doubt, pass too. Then, there was Tomiko, who was in the far end of the room. I couldn't really see how her game was going.

"Hey, it's your turn," the girl across from me said.

I nodded, picking up my bishop. Time to end this game.

* * *

><p>People began filtering out. The ones who were defeated in preliminaries left with frowns and sighs, and their acquaintances followed suit. We had a thirty minute break, and outside there were vending machines and a small cafe.<p>

"Here, Rika-san."

I took the water bottle from Minoru. "Thanks."

He smiled. "How'd it go? Not bad right?"

"Pretty good, except it was really quiet," I said. "Who else passed from Ouran?"

He pointed over to a board. They'd already put up a list of those who'd passed. "Tomiko-san, Ooka Kijuro-san, Mishima Akihiro-san, Tsukino Shuji-san, Kita Shigeki-san, Enoki Masako-san-"

"Okay, okay." I waved a hand in his face. "I don't know anyone but the first few people. So basically a lot of people passed right?"

He nodded. "There should be about a hundred or so that passed."

"Overall, right?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Ah, R-Rika-san!" Tomiko hurried over to where the two of us were standing. She blushed and bowed at me. "Go-Good job!"

I smiled. "You too, Tomiko-san!"

She smiled back sheepishly. "Not-Not really."

"You lack too much confidence, Tomiko-san," Minoru said, taking a drink from his water. "You're one of our best."

"No I'm not!" she protested.

"Hey, you guys!" Hatsumi sauntered over. She was practically the definition of cool and elegant. "How was it?"

I nodded. "Good."

"Good," Tomiko said.

"Easy," Minoru said. "They're all terrible."

"You can't say that, Minoru-san," Hatsumi said, arms on her hips. "There's a reason why you're not that popular, you know."

"I know. Rika-san lets me know that all the time." He sighed.

Tomiko glanced at me. "Really?"

"He's the one who always bothers me," I replied with a pout.

Hatsumi giggled. "You two get along well."

"No we don't," I said curtly. "I'm going to the restroom. Excuse me." Then I walked away huffily. The two of us? Getting along well? Like hell I'll let that happen! So what if he managed to shut up and sit without bothering me on the car ride here? He'll probably nag me all the way back!

I entered a stall and pulled out my cellphone. He probably wasn't up yet. It was only ten in the morning. Then again, Mitsukuni wasn't like me and didn't sleep in that late.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

"Hello? Rika?"

"Mitsukuni," I said, delighted. A small smile bloomed on my face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You're up already? I didn't wake you, right?"

"Nope! I already ate breakfast! Actually, I'm eating my morning cake right now!"

Erk… I guess Umari does have some points. Even I can't quite wrap my mind around how much cake he can eat.

"What flavor is it?" I asked, closing my eyes. I could picture his grinning face in front of me.

"One is a strawberry one. Another is tiramisu! Oh, and this one is cheesecake. Do you wanna come over and have some?"  
>"No. I can't right now."<p>

"Why not?"

"I'm at the chess tournament."

"Chess tournament? How come you didn't tell me this before?"

"Well, it's a pain."

"To tell me about this kind of stuff?" It seemed like he was starting to get upset.

"No no. The chess tournament is a pain. Mitsukuni, I just… didn't want you to worry. I guess."

"About what? Are you somewhere dangerous?"

Great, now I gave him a reason to worry. "No. It's just that I'm with the Chess Club. And, you know…"

"What?"

"You don't really like Funaki, right?"

"No. I don't."

Dang, he's blunt! And here I thought Mitsukuni couldn't possibly dislike anyone! Maybe he doesn't hate anyone?

"Yeah, and I came here with him…"

"Oh. Then. Please stay away from him!"

Pfft. I grinned. "I'll do my best, Mitsukuni!"

"I'm being serious here!"

"I know," I said. "I know. Don't worry. Cause, I-I only li-like you." I blushed. Just how many times was I going to confess to him?

"I like you too," he said quietly.

And another bomb detonates in my head! Look at the steam! Quick! Call the fire fighters! Oh, and a brain surgeon.

"I-I should go," I mumbled. "Before I die."

"Die?!" Mitsukuni yelled.

"Ca-Calm down! You're just making me blush a lot!" I replied.

"Oh." He chuckled. "I wanna see."

"You see me blushing enough," I said. "Anyway, bye then."

"Okay. Bye."

I stared at my phone for a while even after we'd hung up. Ugh, I don't wanna be here. It doesn't matter that I like Hatsumi and Tomiko. I don't wanna be here!

* * *

><p>The second round wasn't that much harder. We were given an hour and a half. Afterwards, Minoru gathered up the remaining Ouran students who'd passed and we left the building to go eat lunch. We chatted a lot about our games, about our opponents' stupid moves, and about our own stupid moves. We discussed strategies and shared some last minutes tips. Minoru was the leader on that, even though we'd gone over these things a few weeks before the tournament.<p>

The third round was just a bit more difficult. We were given two hours. After this, there'd only be thirty students left. I had to be one of those thirty.

Once again, I saw Minoru finish with plenty of time to spare. Hatsumi kept that cool smile of hers. Tomiko, on the other hand, stared at the board with fierce concentration and determination. I guess she really wanted to be one of the thirty too.

With twenty minutes left, I finally got checkmate. Yes! Now I can go home! I'm so tempted to get up and just twirl Tamaki-style around this table.

Four o'clock. The games ended. There was one table that had tied, and so both were gone. They started glaring at each and arguing, blaming the other for not being able to continue. Then, fists began to fly. The judges had to leap in to stop them.

"Let's go home, Rika-san," Minoru said, coming to my side.

"I would love to," I replied.

We returned on Sunday for the fourth round. With only twenty-eight people remaining, we drew numbers to see who we'd be playing. An opponent from the same school was valid, but Ouran only had seven students left. Luckily, none of us had to play a classmate.

Azumi came this time with us and sat in the audience booth, watching. I wasn't sure what she could see from up there but oh well.

This round would last two hours and thirty minutes. Each round the time limit grew. I wondered if Minoru was playing full strength at all. He might on the last round. I want to see that.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. This was definitely harder, but I couldn't get wiped out now!

Thirty minutes left, and there was checkmate.

But not for me.

Crap! I-I _LOST_?! Shit!

My opponent smiled. "Good game."

No no no no no! If I lose here, then I won't be able to challenge Minoru! Not fair! Not fair! Noooooo. Damn it!

I slumped in my seat with a sigh. Well, I'd reached the end. At least now I don't have to stay around for the next round. And, I don't have to spend next weekend here either! Yay!

When the time limit was reached, I stood. As the lunch break began, I made my way towards Minoru and crew.

"I lost," I said.

"So you did," Minoru said, arms crossed. "I thought you'd last longer."

"Same here." I sighed.

"It's okay, Rika-san!" Hatsumi said with a cheerful smile. "You did your best, right? Besides, at least you made it till Sunday. Most people don't."

Tomiko nodded. "Good job."

"You guys all passed?" I asked.

They all nodded, murmuring words of confirmation. Minoru then said, "Other than you, we also lost another person. That means we're down to five people."

"Good luck everyone," I said. "I'll be leaving first then."

"Bye," they called as I walked off to the exit. Azumi met me there and we took a car back. It was almost one when I returned home.

"Rika-sama," a maid said after a deep bow. "You have a visitor in your room."

"Who is it?" Azumi asked, taking my jacket off for me.

"Haninozuka Mitsukuni," the maid replied.

I heard Azumi click her tongue in probable annoyance. I ignored the sound, instead choosing to run up the stairs. Mitsukuni was here! I hadn't seen him since Friday! Which really wasn't that long, but whatever.

"Hey!" I shoved the door open with a grin.

He looked up from where he sat on my bed. "Hey!" He jumped off and was standing in front of me in a second. Then he held something up to me.

"Oji-san's recipe book?" I asked. It was opened to a particular page.

"Can you make this?" he asked, lowering the book so I could see his ecstatic face. "I've had this once before! It was _super_ good!"

I took the book from him. It was some kind of German Chocolate Cake with a pecan and coconut filling. "I don't know. I've never made anything like this before."

"But you've made the marble cake in this, right?" Mitsukuni asked. He looked really excited.

It was true I had but only once. "I can give it a try," I said. "Come on. Let's go the kitchen."

"So how did your tournament go?"

"Alright, I just lost. That's why I'm back."

"Oh. Was it fun though?" he asked.

"Okay," I replied.

"I'm sure you did well anyway," he said, smiling warmly.

"Thanks." I pulled out the necessary ingredients. "Let's see if this will turn out well."

* * *

><p>"It's… just like Oji-san's!"<p>

"Well it is his recipe. I followed it exactly so I guess it's not that surprising. Is it good?" I asked. He nodded before I dipped my fork through the cake layers and tried a bite. "Mm."

"Good right?" Mitsukuni said, grinning. "You're amazing, Rika!"

"No, I just followed the recipe. Anyone could have done this. Oji-san has very detailed and easy instructions, even on decoration."

"Then-Then!" He held up the book again, this time flipped to a different page. "Do you think you could try this one next?"

"Right now?" I said.

"Can you?" he said. He seemed just as elated about this.

I took the book from his hands. "Sure."

By the time dinner came around, I'd already baked four cakes. I collapsed on the couch. I really hadn't baked like that in a long time. Mitsukuni had gone back. Before that, I had him mark up the recipes he wanted me to try with little sticker flaps.

"Dinner is ready, Rika-sama."

I'm not hungry at all! I've had too much cake. Ugh.

* * *

><p>Minoru had won first place. Third place was Hatsumi. Tomiko was in ninth place and another member was sixteenth. Overall, Ouran had done very well apparently. Most schools didn't get four people in the top twenty.<p>

It was pretty reassuring to know that Hatsumi was third, though. If I'd wanted to be in the top three of the tournament, as per Minoru's conditions, I would have had to beat Hatsumi. It made no difference with the usual challenge.

"What's this about Host cakes?" Minoru tossed Kyoya's advertisement flyer on the chess table in front of me.

"Thanks for knocking off the pieces," I said as I began readjusting the chess pieces. I hadn't been playing a game any how.

"So? What's with the cakes?" he asked.

I picked the colorful flyer up. "What do you want to know about them? Isn't all the information already on here?"

"It clearly says 'Designed by Hayashi Sweet's heir, Hayashi Rika.' Well? Don't you have anything to say about that?" he said.

"What's there to say?" I asked.

He sighed, sitting down across from me. "Didn't you say you weren't helping the Host Club anymore?"

I smiled. "Funaki-san, this isn't helping. It's business. I earn money, and my family's business gets some fame. Now, all the girls who attend Ouran have definitely heard of Hayashi Sweets. Once they try the cake, they will love it, and Hayashi Sweets's fame and fortune shall go up."

"Really?" Minoru leaned back. "It's as simple as that?"

I shrugged. "I benefit from this, so why not? Have you tried any yet? Let's see. I bet you'd like Takashi's cake. Or maybe Kyoya's. Or Haruhi's."

"Not going to recommend your boy-"

I slapped my hand over his mouth, and my eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare. "His is probably too sweet for your preference. Or you could try the twins' cake, which is spice cake. Theirs will come out next week. If you want it at a cheaper price, I'd advise that you go to the Host Club."

Minoru walking into the Host Club… Roses showering down on his grumpy head. Pfft. I snickered. "Definitely go to the Host Club, during club hours cause that's the only time you can get it." He'd probably get pissed off by Tamaki's antics. That'd be hilarious.

Minoru sighed. "You must really hate me to tell me to do that."

"You wouldn't be the first guy who's not a host to enter the club during club hours," I replied.

The Chess Club's doors swung open with a bang. "Rika-senpai!" Chiyo ran straight towards me.

"Oh, Chiyo-san. What is it?" I asked.

"That one girl! The new one!" she said breathlessly.

"Umari?" I really hoped I wasn't right.

Chiyo nodded. "Her! She-She's back!"

I stood. "What's she doing now? Slapping people silly?"

"Huh?" Her head tilted in confusion. "Uh, no. But it seems she's started to stalk Honey-senpai."

"Stalk?"

"Yeah. Honey-senpai said she was following him in between classes. And just now, she was peeking through the windows to stare at Honey," Chiyo said.

My mouth dropped open. "B-But the Host Club isn't even on the first floor!"

Chiyo nodded. "Kyoya-kun asked me to get you. He said you might be able to deal with her."

Damn you Kyoya. Don't leave the crazy girl to me!

A chair leg scraped the floor. "Right now?" Minoru asked.

"Well I am done with the chess game for today," I said. "I'll be going then." I nodded at him and picked up my school bag.

"Wait." He grabbed my arm. There was a strange look in his eyes. "Um. What if I don't let you go?"

"Let Rika-senpai go!" Chiyo yelled, taking hold of my other arm.

"You're not that strong, Funaki-san," I said calmly. "Besides, I'm done for the day with the Chess Club. I don't have to stay around any more right?"

"But." Minoru stared at me with a rather desperate look. Did he not want me to leave?

"Go deal with something else," I said, brushing his hand off easily. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

He didn't reply as Chiyo and I left the room.

"Where is Umari?" I asked. We were walking quite briskly towards the Host Club.

"Last I saw she was still at the window," Chiyo replied.

When we arrived at the Host Club, however, Umari was not at the window. There was also a huge crowd of the Host Club's guests and hosts surrounding a particular window.

"What's going on?" I asked Kyoya. I looked around but couldn't find Mitsukuni. Don't tell me…

"Honey-senpai went down himself to talk to Umari-san," Kyoya replied with a sigh. "Mori-senpai just left to go after them."

I pushed my way to the window. Below, Mitsukuni and Umari could be seen standing across from each other. Mitsukuni's head was low, and Umari was yelling.

Great. Takashi had better be fast, or I'm going down there myself.

Then, Umari's hand flew.

I slammed the window open. "Hey!"

Someone else stopped Umari's fist before it touched Mitsukuni. Takashi appeared, and the crowd of Host guests let out a collective sigh.

"Rika." Someone tapped me on my shoulder. I sighed and returned to Kyoya's side.

"I'm not dealing with her, Kyoya," I said. "She's, like, crazy! She was about to punch Mitsukuni!"

Kyoya nodded. "I want your opinion though. What do you think we can do?"

"Um, convince her Mitsukuni's not fake?" I suggested hesitantly. "Send her to an asylum? Have her expelled? Get her to transfer?"

"Rika." Kyoya sighed.

I sighed too. "Fine. We can try and persuade her to just leave Mitsukuni alone. I already told her it's fine to hate him, just not hurt or yell at him."

"That works," Kyoya said, staring to the side as he considered the possibility.

"Yes, it'd work if she had any sense," I mumbled.

"Because of her, we can't hold a Host Club without any interruptions," he said.

"I can see why." I scratched the back of my neck. "I don't know, Kyoya. Today's the thirtieth, right?"

"Yes. Oh, right. Tell your sister happy birthday, for me, will you?" Kyoya smiled. So he did know. Of course, it was Kyoya after all. How could he not know?

I smiled. "Thanks. I think I'll go home then."

"You're not going to wait for Honey-senpai?" Kyoya asked.

"Nah. I've got to go home and bake a cake for Onee-san," I said. "See ya."

He nodded and waved.

* * *

><p>"Ri-chan!"<p>

A hand on my arm stopped me from entering the awaiting vehicle. "What?" I turned towards Mitsukuni.

"Why didn't you say hi to me?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I just saw you a few hours ago. You didn't get punched right?"

He nodded, then paused. "Wait, why'd you ask that?"

"I was watching from the Host Club earlier. Takashi stopped Umari, right?" I said. He nodded, and I smiled. "Good. I have to get going."

"What about that fudge cake you said you'd bake?" he asked.

Uh…

"I have to bake another thing today," I replied. "But if you come over after the Host Club, I could probably make it."

"Really?" His eyes widened.

I grinned, nodding. "Yup!"

"Yay!" He hugged me briefly. "I'll be over as soon as possible then!"

"Okay. See ya!"

He waved me goodbye as the limo drove away.

September thirtieth was Kimiko's birthday. This year, I'd found an awesome recipe for orange cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. The cupcake itself was orange-flavored, with a slice of candied orange on top of the cream. Kimiko loved oranges, so I thought it'd be just perfect for her.

Mitsukuni came over as the cupcakes were baking and I was mixing the cream.

"What are you making?" he asked, crouching down to peer into the dark oven. I leaned over and turned the oven light on.

"Cupcakes!"

"Why?" he said.

"Today," I said with a bright smile. "Is Kimiko onee-san's birthday!"

"Ohh!"

"She's on a date right now with Masa-san and won't be back until later. We're having an official party on Saturday. Mom's probably going to use it more as a business party. Anyway, what's this fudge cake you were talking about?"

"I'll go get the book!" He jumped up. "It's still in your room right?"

I nodded. He dashed out of the kitchen. Mitsukuni was back pretty quickly and showing the recipe to me. "This one! This one! He was selling it when we visited, but I've had it before so I didn't get it. But it's good!"

"You say that about every single one of his cakes," I replied with a chuckle. "Sure. Once these cupcakes are done."

"Rika-sama, dinner is starting soon," Azumi called from outside of the kitchen. It was practically tradition that I bake a cake for Kimiko and Dad on their birthday. It was part of my gift for that person. Mom wasn't very fond of cakes, though, so I usually didn't. Dad liked chocolate, while Kimiko preferred fruity cakes.

I sighed. "Maybe after dinner? You wanna stay?"

"Can I?" he asked.

"If you want to."

"Ma-Maybe I shouldn't," Mitsukuni said. "Your mom…"

"Come back after dinner then. I'll start baking once I'm done."

"Really?" His eyes widened again. Man, he must really like this fudge cake. Then again, he likes most cakes and would probably act this way to any cake.

I nodded. "I promise I'll bake this cake today."

"Yay!" He jumped around and then hugged me again.

Well, now I know how to get hugs from Mitsukuni… Tell him I'll bake him a yummy cake.

Thus, Mitsukuni returned home. I pulled the cupcakes out and let them cool as I began preparing the orange slices. Then I left the kitchen to join Mom for dinner. The moment I finished my meal, I was back in the kitchen.

I iced the cupcakes first, then plopped the slices on. Done! I'll save one for Mitsukuni. That leaves twenty-three cupcakes. That's definitely enough. I'm sure Kimiko will want to save a few for the day later though. I placed them on a pretty plate and then cleaned my hands up. Then I made my way back to the dining room.

I set the plate at the center of the table before going to my room and fetching my card and gift. I'd also gotten her two concert tickets to her favorite band and some colorful yarn - Kimiko was into a bit of crocheting.

That should be good. Now, to bake Mitsukuni's fudge cake!

* * *

><p><strong>Those orange cupcakes do exist! The recipe thing I found is on my profile. It's very complicated. The German cake mentioned also does exist, just Google it. The Host Club cakes however are designed by me.<strong>

**Whatcha think? A birthday has happened! And the Chess Tournament. Any thoughts on Umari or Minoru? This was a rather rushed update. It's late and I'm at a hotel and everyone wants to go to sleep. -_- I'm tired too. Anywho, if there were any mistakes, please point them out! :) Thank you for reading!**


	47. Comes the Cultural Festival

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update! I just got back home today. :D Home sweet home. But now school's gonna start! For all who have school coming up, do your best! **

**AwakenedSecrets:** Yay! Did you think the last chapter had enough fluff? Hehe thank you so much! :)

**Otakugirl119: **Thank you! ^-^ That's so cool! May I ask what your book is called?

**Sherlockianyepguest: **Haha sleep is important. I prefer getting at least nine hours. XD Thanks for your review! It's always great to hear thoughts and opinions. Thank you!

**Hime1234:** Thank you a lot! :D I'm really glad you found a part funny!

**Lizi Rose: **Lol I like your opinion of Umari. Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)

**candymoon2315:** Heh I was on vacation but not hair is so puffy though lol. XD Could you elaborate on the whole acting different? Thank you for your review!

**Awesome-in-person: **Hi! Thanks for your cute and funny review! :D And thanks for reading!

**aaa17:** Your wish may have been granted about the Minoru thing. Please tell me what you think about this chapter. And thank you for your continuous support and reviews! ^-^

**Strawberry Neko: **Flamethrower. O-O Scary lol. Thank you for lovely reviews! :) I'll put more fluff in for you, so please look forward to the next chapter! Thank you!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Ahaha, love your review! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**RM Kox: **Great feedback! Thank you lots for the review! ^-^

**DearChibico:** Hi! I'm quite impressed you read this whole long story so quickly!:O Thank you so much! I personally think it's too revolved around Rika. - Lol so you like Minoru but don't at the same time? Thank you again for the cute, awesome review!

**Oeve:** No worries, I don't mind your language lol. Thank you for your kind words! :D They make me so happy!I like your theory behind the kidnapping plot. Question one is answered below! As for question two: I don't think Honey will kick his ass haha. But there will be a happy ending. Can't say more or it'll be a spoiler. ;) Thank you!

**kyoya3guest:** Yayyy! You're still here! 8D Sweet, thanks for the great thoughts on Minoru.Haha it seems you're starting to notice. The "annoyingness" you mention will be answered in this chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**AnimeBestie:** Your reviews are like a short story. Like about your twin friends, haha that's pretty funny. What kind of friends try and... kill their other friend? _ What an interesting friendship you have lol. Agree on the Last Game main girl character thing. And Gakuen Babysitters is so cute right? Okay, then if you like genderbender, you should read: Kimi no Neiro (complete, cute, kinda strange if you don't like genderbend), or Charming Junkie (about teen models, also complete). Cat Street is really good, less focus on romance, complete, I loved it. Or if you like TeacherXStudent, Chocolate Cosmos (complete) or Hirunaka no Ryuusei. For short & complete romances: Koko ni Iru Yo, Kaichou sukitte mo ii desuka. Some other popular shoujos: Girl the Wild's, Dengeki Daisy, Rosario + Vampire. There's lots of manga out there! Please tell me if you find something good. :D What a shame the Barnes and Nobles didn't have any manga. -_- how sad actually. Thank you for your review!

**Note on this chapter: I am no longer following the anime. It's the manga now. The Cultural Festival mentioned in this chapter is in the manga chapters 22-27. (27 is an extra chapter & it's so cute and hilarious!) By the way, the manga's ending is waaaay better! :D Hope you like this!**

* * *

><p>After the fudge cake, Mitsukuni asked me to bake a pumpkin cake. Then there was another white chocolate one, and this red velvet kind of thing, and then… By the time Kimiko's birthday party came around, I'd already baked about ten different kinds of cakes. And he ate all of the cakes - every last crumb.<p>

"Rika, what recipe did you use for those cupcakes? Can you give it to the kitchen staff? Unless you want to bake it all by yourself," Kimiko was saying.

I shook my head. "I've had enough baking for a week."

She grinned. "Well okay then! Oh, and make sure you wear something nice tonight!"

"Yes," I said with a dull nod. I trudged up to my room to do a bit of homework before the party began. I was expected to be there until all the guests left. That was why I hated parties hosted at home.

Masahiko's family was invited. His parents weren't like other Ouran students' parents. His mom was a daughter of a wealthy stockbroker, and, although had plenty of money, had little power or influence in the community. His dad was a skilled and well-known neurosurgeon. His family used to be in the manufacturing field, but the company bankrupted suddenly. His parents had saved up money just so he could attend Ouran.

No wonder Mom wouldn't approve of him. He wasn't backed by some huge company and name like the Host Club boys were. He only had some money and that was it.

His parents seemed pretty nice, though. I was only able to greet them. The rest of the evening was spent next to my parents as they spoke to important business peeps. I just had to stand there, smile, and nod.

The orange cupcakes seemed quite popular and the kitchen staff were kept busy. It made me want to slip into the kitchen and help them out. But I was a host and had to stay right here.

Mitsukuni's family was invited too. He grinned and waved at me periodically, but I couldn't go and talk to him. Kyoya's family was also invited, and my parents chatted with his dad for a super long time.

Then there was Minoru's family. His dad was a rather stern man, with a squarish face and thin lips pressed together in a frown. His hair was obviously dyed black and cropped up in a neat fashion. His mom, on the other hand, was very different. She was a bubbly kind of person and seemed to adore her sons.

"Oh, it's great to finally be able to meet you, Hayashi Rika!" she said with a bright grin. "I'm Funaki Ume. I've heard a bit about you from my son. Oh! Have you met my oldest? Go on and introduce yourself my dear."

She nudged a fidgeting pretty boy forward. He had lighter brown hair than Minoru that curled slightly and a rounder face. If anything, he looked younger than his younger brother. His hazel eyes were wide and he blushed when he met my gaze.

"He-Hello, Hayashi-san. I'm Funaki Shoichi."

Ah, the Sho something that Kimiko _was_ going to marry.

I bowed. "Nice to meet you."

"Isn't Sho-chan just so cute?" Mrs. Funaki nearly squealed.

"Mom!" Shoichi said, cheeks reddening.

"Hush, Ume," Mr. Funaki thundered. "Calling Shoichi-kun Sho-chan is embarrassing. You really need to change that."

Seems like Minoru takes after his father…

"Yes, yes." Mrs. Funaki rolled her eyes while looking the other way.

Hm. Interesting.

"Well, Hayashi-kun," Mr. Funaki said, looking down at me. Oh yes, did I mention that he's quite tall? Mrs. Funaki wasn't too short either, about 5' 6" (167 cm), although her oldest son wasn't quite the same height. "What do you think of Minoru so far?"

I nodded my head. "He's a smart and handsome man, sir."

"Do you like him?" Mrs. Funaki asked.

I bit my tongue. Was I supposed to be honest? Or lie? I'd already made it clear to Mom how much I didn't like Minoru. It seemed she hadn't conveyed those feelings to his parents.

I glanced at Mom. She nodded at me. What the hell does that mean? Yes, I should lie and say I like him? Or yes, I should be honest?

"She's still getting to know him," Mom said calmly. "I believe it'd be best to be patient. The two are still young."

Mr. Funaki nodded. "I see. I'm sure you'll come to like him." He patted my arm and then turned to my dad to talk some business thing about Hayashi Sweets. As absurd as my dad could act, he was quite serious when it came to business.

Ugh, I think I dislike Mr. Funaki more than I dislike Minoru! Bleh. When is this night going to end?

* * *

><p>One good thing that came out of these parties was the fact that Kimiko got a crap ton of birthday gifts. Every family that attended the party brought a gift. And, considering who came to these parties, the gifts were all ridiculously expensive, frivolous, and valuable.<p>

"Look at this Rika!" Kimiko ran up to me on the couch holding some green statue of a lion. "It's a jade statue of a Chinese lion!"

"Um, cool?"

She giggled. "Where do you think I should put this? The foyer? My bedroom?"

I shrugged. "Wherever you want, onee-san."

"Do you want it?" she asked, holding the statue towards me. I shook my head.

"No way. A jade statue? What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Don't you know jade is supposed to bring good fortune? This is real jade too. It's so pretty." She stared at the lion with a smile. "I think I'll put this in the foyer then." She handed the lion to a maid.

Yup. Birthday parties bring in a great haul of gifts. Last year, I got a ton of dresses, jewelry, books, and stationary. This year, since I'll be turning eighteen… I bet there'll be a bunch of weird turn-of-age stuff.

"Rika!"

"Yo Mitsukuni," I called from my spot on the couch. I was lying on my stomach reading a novel.

"Yo!" He swung his head over the couch with a grin. "What are you reading?"

"½ Prince," I replied, showing him the cover. "It's pretty good."

"Hm. I think I've heard of it."

"I'm reading its manga right now actually." I grinned. "It's good!"

"That's great!" He came around the couch to sit down. I pulled myself up into a sitting position to make room for him. "Did you know the cultural festival is coming up?"

I nodded, closing my book. "Yup! I bet Ouran's festival is going to be grand. What do you think our class is going to do? I hope it's not a cafe."

"Or a haunted house," he said with a snicker.

I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Yes, or that. So why'd you come over?"

"Can I not?" he asked as his eyes widened.

"Of course not. You can come whenever you like," I said. "But are you here just to chat with me?"

He chuckled. "Can you bake this other cake?"

And that was how my October began.

* * *

><p>A week passed with Mitsukuni continually pestering me for a particular cake of Oji-san's. His recipe book was a plain notebook, and each cake recipe took about one or two pages. Most of them had pictures taped on, and detailed descriptions of what the decorations were. Thanks to those instructions, I could almost reconstruct his cakes. Of course the taste and appearance still was no match - even I knew this without having tried Oji-san's versions before.<p>

"Just how many recipes are in that book?" I said aloud in exasperation one evening after Mitsukuni had left. I grabbed it and flipped it to the last page. Oji-san really was neat and organized. He'd even numbered every recipe.

A hundred and one.

Shit! Do I have to bake every single one before Mitsukuni will stop bothering me about these cakes?!

Damn. Why is it turning into this?

Another week and I was churning out two to three cakes per day. These weren't miniscule cakes or a dozen cupcakes. These were full-size cakes, complete with filling inside, icing on top, and fruit or chocolate as decoration. I wouldn't be surprised if the amount of money spent on my baking ingredients shot up within those few weeks.

"Rika-sama, you seem busy these days," Azumi said as she stood at the kitchen edge. I was being one step ahead of Mitsukuni today and had already begun baking this one chocolate cream cake he'd requested the other day.

And there's the cultural festival too. I'm not being very helpful with my section of Sunset Venice. Our class was collaborating with another to create a version of Venice in the West Gym. I was in a group along with Naoko, Chiyo, and two others. We were in charge of one section of Venice and I really hadn't been stepping up to my role. Mom would definitely want to hear good things about me when she visits. After all, the Ouran Cultural Festival was all about "foresight and leadership." It was nothing like the festival at Akawari, where we spent hours hammering and gluing and sewing things.

The oven bell rang, and I reached over to pull the cake out. These days, baking wasn't quite as fun. No. It wasn't fun at all. It was becoming more of a must than a may.

I practically dropped the cake onto the counter. I stared at it for a moment with a weary feeling. Then I grabbed a fork and stabbed a small part out. It was hot and steaming slightly, but I blew on it until it cooled. Then I took a bite.

Disgusting.

I forced myself to swallow the cake, then tossed the fork into the sink.

"Rika-sama? Is everything alright?" Azumi poked her head in.

I nodded. "It's fine. You can leave." She stared at me hesitantly, but nodded, and her footsteps began to fade away.

I stared at the cake. There was some kind of unexplainable anger bubbling inside of me. I had enough. I was baking so often these days that my arms were sore from mixing batter. I was tired of opening and closing the oven, of creating my own icing, of perfecting the decorations' positions. Mostly, I think I was tired of Mitsukuni only talking about the cake.

Damn.

I swept my hand across the counter, shoving the cake and the plate off. It fell, smashing into the floor. Even the plate broke with a loud clatter.

"Rika!" I heard Mitsukuni start to make his way over. He was here. Great. How was I supposed to explain what happened?

He appeared right in front of the cake. His eyes widened and he glanced wildly from the mess on the floor to me. I was just staring at the splattered cake.

"Rika! What happened to the cake?" he asked.

That's when I snapped. And all that anger burst out.

"Cake! Cake! That's all you care about!" I yelled. I slammed my foot into a nearby stool and sent it crashing against the wall. Then I turned to glare at him. "I'm not your personal cake baker, Mitsukuni! I'm your fucking _girlfriend!_ You could at least _try_ to pretend that was true!"

I thought he'd yell back at me. Whenever I got mad and yelled at someone, I'd just get yelled at back. So I thought he'd yell at me.

But he didn't. Instead, tears began falling down his face.

"I'm-I'm so so sorry! I'm sorry! Rika! I-" He was silenced by his own tears.

What the… I stood frozen, listening to my own heartbeat pound loudly.

"Mitsukuni, it's fine!" I said. My hands came up as if to reassure him but we were standing too far apart. "Mitsukuni, it's fine. Really. I just got mad. I just - don't ask me to bake so much. I have homework to do and other things. Mitsukuni."

He shook his head. "I'm sowwy! I-I'm so sooo sowwy! I d-didn't know I-"

"I said it's fine already!" I said, taking a step towards him. "Just don't ask me to bake so much. I can't do it, so please stop crying."

"I'm sorry." He nodded, swallowed, and then quickly wiped away the tears. "I-I won't ask you to bake anymore." He looked absolutely depressed, and he kept his head down, sniffing slightly.

"No. Please do," I said. "I like seeing you happy from eating my cakes. Just, keep it to like… one cake per week. Something like that will be fine."

"Really?" he asked, glancing up at me hesitantly. "You're not mad anymore?"

"No. I'm not. It's fine," I said with a nod. Then I forced a smile. "Are you alright now?"

He nodded. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," I said, sighing.

He nodded glumly.

Ugh. How did things become like this? Just cause of cake? Damn it! I'm starting to hate cake now.

We both stood there in silence. I wasn't exactly mad, but I certainly wasn't happy either. I wasn't sure what to do.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I get mad too easily."

He shook his head, eyes glued to the ground. "No. I-I was wrong. I-" He stopped.

I swallowed. Damn it. I hope cake doesn't end our relationship! No! I can't let something as small as this end us! I reached a hand out and let it hover anxiously above his head for a moment. Then I let it fall on his soft hair and patted his head.

"You really forgive me already?" His voice came out as a squeak.

"I don't think I could stay mad at you for that long," I said in a whisper. "So… Please stop making that kind of face."

He looked up at me as my hand withdrew. He'd been looking miserable and guilty, and I hated seeing that kind of look on him.

"Sorry," he said, staring straight at me. He was pouting and his eyes were huge. Puppy eyes. Goodness.

"Stop apologizing then," I replied.

He nodded. "Okay."

"And don't look so miserable please," I said.

"Okay."

"And," I had to take a breath to gather my courage for this, "please hug me."

His eyes widened and we held each other's gaze for a long moment. Then he nodded, took one large step, and wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm really not mad anymore, Mitsukuni," I mumbled into his shoulder. "So if you'll just forget this incident."

"Okay." He seemed to relax, hugging me in a more casual and comfortable manner.

"This is our first fight, huh?" I asked with a foreign, forced laugh.

"Yeah, it is," he said. "It's my fault-"

"No. I should have spoken up earlier." We broke apart. "I'm sure if I'd told you how I felt you would have understood, Mitsukuni."

He nodded fiercely.

This time I smiled genuinely. "Are we good now?"

"Yes!" he declared loudly.

"Good!" I smiled. "Sorry about the mess. Let's go to the living room for now."

"Do you want to come to my place? We've got ice cream!" he said, grinning as usual.

"Um, sure!"

* * *

><p>And so, the cultural festival began!<p>

"Is everything set, Hayashi-san?" Our class pres asked.

I nodded. The rest of my group, save for Chiyo, were running around making last minute checks with the workers. "All good!"

"Good! Let's open the doors for Sunset Venice then!"

I spent the early mornings at my class's booth. Then I was given a break for lunch and then for my club activities. And that translated into the Chess Club!

The Chess Club had a game set up where you paid money and you could challenge one of the club members. If you beat that member in a short game of chess, then you could get a prize. If you lose, then too bad!

I grabbed lunch with Yukimura Naoko. Tamaki and Kyoya's class had set up some commoners' market and there was a ton of yummy food on sale. It was obviously Tamaki's idea. Really, he has way too much influence.

"Hey I heard there's a really delicious crepe booth," Naoko told me, handing me a riceball. "We should go check it out after club activities."

"Sure. Thanks," I said. "Oh, we should go to that first year booth. The Private Detective Agency. It sounds like a lot of fun."

"Yeah sure! Isn't that the class the Hitachiin twins are in? And Haruhi-kun?"

I nodded, grinning. "Yup!" It was cause of the twins that I'd heard about it.

"Then, let's meet up at the first year area after clubs. I'll bring some friends! You can too!" Naoko said.

Friends… Haha, as if I've got friends. Except for Naoko and Hanako and their friends that I vaguely know. And the Host Club, and the Chess Club's pres and VP. Wow. That's surprisingly sad.

"Okay."

The Chess Club was pretty boring since not that many people would want to go to a cultural festival and play chess. I wouldn't want to. I was challenged by one guy and I creamed him easily. He didn't seem too happy when he left.

"Funaki-san," I said. He glanced at me and then hopped out of his chair.

"What?" he asked as he approached me.

"Can I challenge you? Not as a club member but a visitor to this festival," I explained.

He smirked. "No way. Even if you challenged me, at your skill level, you'll obviously lose."

Ugh. An arrow to the heart. He's probably right though. I still don't stand a chance against Hatsumi. How could I possibly beat him? Nah, I wanna give it a chance.

"Aha! So you are in the Chess Club!"

Why is that voice starting to become familiar?

Umari grinned at me. "Hiya, classmate! I challenge you!"

Pikachu!

No wait. It was I choose you… Pikachu.

"Okay, that'll be a thousand yen." I held out a hand. She slapped the bill into my hand and took a seat across from me. "I'll be black, and you be white. Go ahead."

"Wait." She held her palm up to my face. "I have conditions to this game."

"The only conditions in this game is that if you win, you get a prize. That's it," I said monotonously.

Her grin widened. "Come on. That's so boring, classmate. How about you hear me out? If I win, you stop talking to Honey. Forever!"

What the fuck… Like I'd risk those kinds of conditions in a stupid game of chess! And what if she's super good? What if she wins?!

"No," I said.

"And if you win," she continued, ignoring me. "I will stop talking to Honey. I won't touch him. I won't bother him. I'll leave him alone."

"You'll stop stalking him?" I asked. It was pretty tempting.

She nodded, then froze. "What stalking? I'm not stalking him!"

"You just admitted you were when you nodded," I said.

She scowled. "I am _not_ stalking him!"

"Okay, okay. Whatever you say, Umari-san." I made sure I laid the sarcasm thick. "You must think you'll win, right?"

"Of course! You think I'd challenge you just to lose?"

Good point. That was a stupid question.

"Fine. I accept your conditions," I said with a smirk. "Let's play, Umari-san."

* * *

><p>Oh my God.<p>

Somehow, I actually can't believe it.

I stared at the chess board. It'd happened. It'd really happened. I'd done my best, and she'd put up such a fight…

I WON!

I lept out of my chair and jumped around in circles. Then I twirled Tamaki-style. "I won! I won! Umari Etsuko can't talk to Mitsukuni ever again!"

She was sitting in her chair glaring at the board. She knocked the pieces off angrily. "Ugh! I can't believe this! I'm a great chess player! Everyone says I'm a great chess player!"

"Well," I said with a smug smile. "It seems you haven't met the Ouran Chess Club then. Because there are plenty of people here who are better than you."

She glared at me. "I won't accept this!"

Someone stepped in. "I'm afraid you'll have to."

Minoru held up his phone and then pressed a button. It started to play a recording of Umari and my conditions to the game, and then my declaration that I'd won.

Very clever. It's proof of her word, and so she'll have to stay true to it.

"Send it to me! Send it to me!" I said, pulling my phone out too.

"Sure, just give me your email." He handed me his phone and I quickly typed in my email. "Oh, while you're at it, how about your phone number?" He smiled.

Oh no. I've been tricked by him! I bet he never had my phone number or my email! Fine. I'll just give him the home phone number. Mwahaha!

"There you go." I returned his phone with a satisfied smile. "Thank you, Funaki-san."

"Fu…" Umari tilted her head in thought. Then her eyes widened. "Are you - Are you the Chess Club President?" She pointed at him, looking surprised.

Minoru nodded, smiling brightly. "That's me!"

And Hatsumi said he was shy. In what way? He's not shy in the slightest!

Umari's eyes, if possible, grew even larger. "Oh! The great, talented chess player! Furaru!"

Um… what?

I burst out laughing. "Furaru! Furaru! Oh, that's great! That's a great name!"

"What's wrong with it?" Umari asked with a pout. It was Minoru's turn to scowl. He looked embarrassed and possibly annoyed.

"It's Funaki," Minoru mumbled.

"What?" Umari said.

"Funaki!" he yelled.

She jumped. "Okay! Okay! You don't have to yell! I get it, Funaku!"

Oh man. This is better than any stand-up comedy. This is just like manga! I continued to giggle, bent over and clutching my stomach. Minoru shot me a glare.

"It's Funaki," he said once again, this time through clenched teeth.

"Fu what?" She leaned her ear closer towards him.

"Fu. Na. Ki." His face was definitely red now.

"Funaki?" she repeated. She stared at the ground in contemplation. "No, that doesn't sound right. Furaru!" She turned to Minoru with a cheerful grin. "I'll just call you Furaru, is that okay?"

"No, it's not," he snapped.

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Yeah, Furaru," I joined in. "Why not?"

He glared at me. "Because my name isn't Furaru! It's Funaki!"

"Geez, you don't have to get this upset," Umari replied with a pout. "It's a nickname, Furaru. A nickname. Take a chill pill."

I started laughing again. Umari would be a great complement to Minoru. Finally, he would learn what it was like to be constantly bothered.

"Yo Rika-senpai!" The twins were calling from the main doors. "We have a message for you!"

I stopped laughing to run towards them. A message from the twins must mean a message from the Host Club. "What is it?" I asked once I'd stopped in front of them.

"The Host Club is going to be busy," Hikaru replied.

"And so Honey-senpai won't be able to hang out with you," Kaoru said.

"Too bad!" They said in unison, with bored, apathetic expressions.

My grin faded. "That's it?" I asked.

They nodded. "Well, Honey-senpai kept saying sorry," Hikaru added.

"He didn't look very happy," Kaoru agreed.

"Okay." I nodded. "Then tell Kyoya, and Mitsukuni, that Umari Etsuko shall disturb them no further!" I grinned proudly.

"Sure, sure." The twins rolled their eyes in boredom. "We're leaving. Bye!"

"Okay, bye."

Man. This sucks. I sighed, trudging back to my seat. Oh well, I'll just hang out with Naoko-chan for the rest of the day. I wonder if Chiyo's parents are here. I kinda want to meet them. I wonder if they're as strict as Mom or Minoru's dad…

"What is it?" Minoru asked, arms on the back of my chair.

"I'm leaving now, Furaru! Bye!" Umari waved energetically. Minoru sighed and waved lazily as the girl left the Chess Club.

"Nothing," I said. "Seeing as there's no one here, why don't we play a game?"

He smiled at me. "If you really want to."

"Of course."

"Okay." He bent and scooped up the scattered pieces off the floor. Then he sat down across from me. "You can be white this time, Rika-san. That way you can go first."

"Don't look down at me so much," I said with a strained smile as we set up the board. "Just watch. I might win."

And guess what happened?

That's right. I lost.

I only had two useless pawns off to the side, a rook, and the king. Damn. I really do suck when compared to Minoru!  
>"What did I tell you?" he said, sounding bored.<p>

I sighed. "I know. You win."

He glanced at me. "You play too rashly, Rika-san. All you do is attack, but sometimes you don't want to attack."

Suddenly he was lecturing my playing style. He pointed out plenty of ways I could have taken a better path, setting the board up to his desire. Actually, a lot of what he said made sense, and I did my best to remember everything.

"Second shift is over! If your replacement has arrived, you're free to leave!"

I looked at Minoru. He was always quite serious when he talked about chess. "How long have you been playing chess?" I asked.

"Since I was a kid. My gramps taught me how to play, and then he taught me everything he knew." He leaned back in his chair.

"What was your gramps like?"

"He was a nice, old guy. He lived up in the mountains and I always got to see him during the New Years." Minoru stared off into the distance, wandering around in his memories. "He's actually the second son, but because his brother died in an accident, he ended up inheriting everything. He didn't like business, though. So he retired early on and passed the business to my dad."

"He's not like your dad, right?"

He shook his head. "Dad's super strict. You probably noticed right?" He glanced at me, and I nodded.

"Like my mom."

"Heh. No wonder they get along."

We fell silent. Then I checked my watch and realized the time. I stood. "I have to go meet up with some friends. Thanks for the game, Funaki. See ya." I smiled at him, waved, and left the room in a flash.

Seeing that kind of serious face of his… Who knew Minoru had a side like that of him? I wonder if he liked his grandpa a lot. I bet his grandpa's dead. Now I kinda want to meet his grandpa. Was he really good at chess or something? Better than Minoru? Did his grandpa raise Minoru? Probably not, but it sounded like he was close to his gramps. Now I'm really curious about his past… And like this, my thoughts were in a swirl when I arrived at the Private Detective Agency.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you think of that taste of angst? I'm planning for a bit more. ^-^ Please tell me what you think. Any more opinion changes on Umari and Minoru? Next chapter will be more light-hearted! Thanks for reading! :D<strong>


	48. The Cultural Festival Part 2

**Tomorrow's my first day of school. T_T Help me! I'm not ready at all! Oh yeah, over 200 favorites! :D You guys are awesome. Thank you all so much! **

**Hime1234: **Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! :D Fufufu, and thanks for the thoughts on the fight! No one else really mentioned it, lol. Thank you!

**AnimeBestie: **You have a cool name! And *gasp* you wrote a review that isn't frighteningly long! O_O I did sorta notice that asylum thing... How can I help? *Push up sunglasses* I've got all the money you need in a briefcase. Lol sleep is important. I'm surprised you lasted that long. I'd die at day 2. And yes! The twins' station sounds fun right! :D I want to see Ouran's Cultural Festival. It must be so over-the-top, extravagant, and awesome! 8D As for the fight... haha it probably won't happen. I wonder who would win though... Thank you for your fun review! :) Pst, October is only a month away!

**Oeve: **Haha, nice review. Thank you so much! ^-^

**DaPandaGirl: **Wow, so you're actually almost done with school? :O Kinda strange to imagine lol. Yes, I enjoyed my vacation. Thanks for asking! And thanks for your review! :)

**aaa17: **Are you a fan of love triangles? ;) I'll see what I can do with Minoru moments, cause I like your suggestion. Thank you!

**Strawberry Neko: **Oh, love it when I can make someone laugh! :D So then yes, I'll put in more Umari & Minoru. And also, after you read this, pleeeeeease don't come after me with a flamethrower! D: I thought there'd be tons of fluff, but then the ending part... yeah it's not fluff. There's fluff in the beginning. You'll see. Now I must flee while I can! Oh and thanks for the review! ^0^

**kyoya3guest: **You're back! :D Have I said that yet? But you're back! Yay! Thank you thank you for your great review! :)

**WARNING: This chapter contains a _LOT_ of swear words. Hope you don't mind and that you like the chapter!**

* * *

><p>"Rika-chan!" Naoko waved happily. There was a small crowd with her. The only ones I really knew well were Tsukino Shuji and Ishii Hanako. There were two more boys and two more girls - ones I've eaten lunch with.<p>

"Hey, sorry I'm a bit late."

"It's fine! Come on, let's go in!"

The twins had apparently designed the costumes that we put on, and Haruhi was one of the helpers. Our group decided to break into two to solve different mysteries, but we kept regrouping and discussing. It was really fun. Detective stuff has always been cool to me.

After we solved the cases, we headed off to get crepes.

"I heard there's a musical," Hanako said as we all munched on our snack. "In the East Gym, maybe. Don't remember."

"I love musicals!" one of the girls said excitedly.

"Let's go watch it then!" Naoko replied with a grin.

"Sure." One of the guys shrugged.

"There you are!" I felt two hands grab my arms.

"Wah!" I nearly dropped my chocolate crepe in shock. Shuji glanced at me. The rest of the group was too engrossed in their conversation to notice. When I turned around, I found the twins grinning at me mischievously. "What are you two doing here? Don't you have super busy Host Club?"

"So Honey-senpai was right," Hikaru said slowly.

"What?" I snapped, brushing their hands off.

"You're mad," Kaoru replied simply.

"Of course I am! I nearly dropped my crepe!" I said with a frown.

"You're mad cause of that?" the twins asked.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "So what are you guys doing here?"

"We came to tell you something!" They grinned and sparkles appeared beside them. "Come with us please!"

I eyed them suspiciously. "No thanks."

"Why not? Trust us! You won't regret it!"

"I'm about to go see a musical," I said, turning towards the group. Then I realized they were already down the hall.

"We're gonna leave you behind, Rika-chan!" Naoko called teasingly.

"No!" I yelled. The twins grabbed my arms, lifted me off the floor, and then began to cart me away. "No! Naoko-chan! Don't ditch meeeeeee!"

My cries were unheard as the twins sprinted down the halls. I gripped my crepe with both hands. It wasn't everyday that I got to eat a crepe. And it was chocolate too!

"Let me down! You evil twins! Demon spawn! Dog poo!"

They cackled madly at the last one.

At some abandoned and empty hallway, they lurched to a halt beside a door. And not any door, a closet door.

Hikaru opened the door.

"What do you think you are d-" I was cut off as I went sailing through the air. "Dooooing?!"

I'm gonna die!

Luckily, I didn't. Because someone caught me. In his arms. Specifically Mitsukuni.

I blushed. "Mit-"

Then the door slammed shut. "You have thirty minutes!" I heard the twins squeal happily.

Um. What?

"Really?" I said as Mitsukuni set me down on my feet gently. I stomped to the door and pounded. "Oi! Let us out! Hikaru! K-"

"Ah, Rika!" He grabbed my pounding fist and then held a finger to his lips. "Shh! I'm taking a secret break!"

"Oh."

"And the door isn't locked," he said. To prove his point, he reached over and twisted the doorknob.

"Oh."

Well, aren't I a bright one?

I smiled and then chuckled sheepishly. I rubbed the back of my neck. "I thought that… well..."

Mitsukuni grinned. "What do you have there?"

"Oh! It's a chocolate crepe!" I held said food item out towards him. "Want a bite?"

"Sure!" He took hold of both my hands and bit into the still warm dessert.

"Good right?" I asked as I ate some myself. He nodded. "So why are you on a secret break?"

"I wanted to look at the festival with you, but the Host Club makes it really hard," he replied. "Plus I heard there's starting to be rumors about the two of us."

"What kind of rumors?" I asked, eating while listening.

"Rumors that there's something going on between us," he said with a nervous giggle.

Oh, of course there'd be stuff like that.

"Hey, Mitsukuni," I said. "If people ask me if there's something going on between us, I'll tell them no. Okay? And I'll say that, um, I see you more as a…" I stared at the ground in thought. "A little brother! And a cake test taster than a prospective boyfriend. Is that okay? I don't mean it though!"

He laughed. "Okay. What should I say then?"

"Hm… I'm a sister?" I suggested with a shrug.

"Sure!"

"Then, I'll call you, uh, Mitsu-chan then, okay?" I said. "Like how you call me Ri-chan."

"Okay!"

I guess he was fine with whatever. Well, now we have a barrier against rumors! Yay! We're one step ahead of those other manga couples!

I chewed on the crepe. "So now what are we gonna do? Hang out in a closet for half an hour?"

Mitsukuni took a step forward towards me. Then he licked my bottom lip.

*# %&$!

"Mitsukuni!" I choked out as my face began to burn.

He grinned. "Rika's blushing face is the cutest."

No it's not! Nooo it's not! I lowered my head, embarrassed. Geez.

"Are you mad?" he asked curiously.

I shook my head. "Opposite."

"Opposite?"

"I'm actually, um… re-really happy!" I squeezed my eyes shut. Uwaa, my face must be super red.

Mitsukuni was silent, so I glanced up at him uncertainly. He was looking at me, and under the dim light, it seemed like he was blushing too.

"Why are you blushing?" I asked. The heat was dying down slightly.

"Ca-Cause," he said.

"That really explains a lot." I smirked.

He smiled. "You're cute!"

Great. I may as well paint my cheeks a permanent red. "Thanks," I mumbled, flushing again.

He grinned cheerfully. I glanced at him again. "But why'd you do that?"

"Hm? There was chocolate on your lip!" he replied as flowers bloomed around him.

Ugh. That's great.

"Want some more then?" I held the crepe out towards him.

He nodded and took the whole thing. I sat down on the ground of the closet. It was a good thing this was an Ouran closet. Even the floor was clean, and the shelves in the back were dustless and neat.

Mitsukuni settled down on the ground across from me.

"You can have it all," I said.

"Yay!" He grinned, munching away happily.

"So what are we going to do? Just sit here?" I asked.

"I don't think I can go out," he said. "Sorry. If you don't want to stay here, you don't have to."

"No." I pulled my knees towards my chest with a smile. "I want to stay here with you."

He smiled warmly. "Okay!"

We started talking, about the festival, the Host Club, and our class booth. I told him about how I played against Umari and the conditions, and how she wouldn't be bothering him anymore. He told me about what the Host Club was doing. They were taking turns riding in carriages that'd pick up customers and take them to the Central Salon: the room the Host Club was occupying for the festival.

"Oh yeah, Rika!" Mitsukuni said, suddenly remembering something quite happily. "We should go out some time!"

"Sure!" I grinned. "Like how we went to the amusement park?"

He nodded with a smile. "Yeah! Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care." I shrugged. I thought for a moment, trying to think of places that we could go. But nothing really came to mind. "Oh, but when Christmas comes…"

"What?" he asked eagerly, leaning forward.

"And on New Years Eve," I said slowly. "Can we do something then?"

"Ehhh? Do I have to wait that long?" he said looking disappointed.

"No!" I quickly shook my head. "I'm just saying that I'd really like to do something on those days. Especially New Years. Can we go visit the shrine?"

"Of course!" He grinned.

"Hey, senpais!" A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. "Five minutes left!" It sounded like Hikaru.

"That was fast," I murmured, checking my watch. The two of us climbed onto our feet.

"Hang on, Rika," Mitsukuni said. He took my hand and pulled me close. Then he kissed me, very quickly. "Okay!" He pulled away with a grin.

"You need to kiss me more," I replied, smiling. I grabbed his sleeve and kissed him back. It seemed he wasn't very bold when it came to things like this. But I felt him kiss me back.

"Keep it PG in there!" a yell came from outside.

I blushed. "Sh-Shut up, Kaoru!"

"It's Hikaru!"  
>"It is not!" I said. "It's totally Kaoru."<p>

The door opened and Hikaru smirked at us. "It's Hikaru."

I scowled.

"Time's up!" Kaoru said, poking his head over Hikaru's shoulder with a smile.

"See ya, Rika!" Mitsukuni patted my shoulder on his way out.

"All clear," Hikaru said. He glanced up and down the hallway. "Rika-senpai, you might want to wait another ten or so minutes, though."

"Why do I have to wait ten minutes before I can leave?" I asked. "I'm coming too." I stepped after them.

"No! You'll blow our cover!" Hikaru said, pretending to be oh so serious. He grabbed my shoulders with a panicked expression.

I kicked the door shut with my foot. "What cover?"

"Oh, Rika-senpai!" Chiyo waved from where she stood at the end of the hallway. "Hey! Let's go see the musical together! With Tomiko-senpai!" Tomiko came from around the corner with a shy smile.

"See?" I said. "There's no need for a cover."

"Yeah, yeah," the twins said. They both ruffled my hair as they walked the opposite way. "Bye, senpai!"

"Bye Ri-chan!" Mitsukuni waved with a grin.

"Bye," I called back. Then I turned towards the two waiting for me. "Let's go see the musical then!"

* * *

><p>The musical was pretty good. It was practically the same level as those professional musicals, as expected from a show by Ouran students. As we exited the gym, a voice called out towards us. "Chiyo! Come here!"<p>

Chiyo stiffened beside me and then headed towards the voice with a smile. "Mom! Dad! You came!"

Chiyo's parents?! Tomiko glanced at me with a worried look. Maybe she knew about Chiyo's situation too, or maybe even more than I did.

Her dad was a tall, gruff looking man, with a short, graying beard. He had light brown, slightly longish hair and - guess what - stern, dark gray eyes. Her mom had long blond hair in a low ponytail and radiant blue eyes with a sharp look. Chiyo's appearance obviously took after her mother.

"Of course we'd come to see how you're doing," her dad said. He glanced at Tomiko and I briefly. "Are you going to introduce us to your friends?"

"Oh! Of course!" Chiyo turned towards us with a warm smile. "Mom, Dad, meet Kurosawa Tomiko and Hayashi Rika!"

I bowed. "It's nice to meet you." Tomiko bowed too, murmuring her greeting.

"Never heard of a Kurosawa before," Mr. Minami mused. "But Hayashi… Are you Hayashi Noboru's daughter?"

I nodded, smiling politely. "Yes."

"How is Chiyo in school?" Mrs. Minami asked.

"She's very popular here," I replied. "And she has one of the best grades."

"Is that so." Mr. Minami seemed skeptical. He rubbed his beard in thought. "What do you think then, Kurosawa-kun?"

Tomiko's face instantly turned red. "Chi-Chiyo-san is very re-respected here."

"Pardon me, I don't think I quite understand," Mr. Minami said. He leaned closer, towering over all three of us.

"Sh-She is gr-greatly respect-respected here," Tomiko said. A look of determination took over, and she stared up into his eyes. "Chiyo-san is a great person and very smart."

"I see. Well the two of you are her friends after all." Chiyo's dad turned away with a sigh. "If what they say is true, Chiyo, how come I haven't heard such good things from your teacher?"

"You already spoke to my teacher?" Chiyo asked, eyes widening.

He nodded. "It seems you haven't been stepping up. You know we expect you to do more than your part."

"I know," she said with a nod. "I've been doing my best, though." She smiled.

"Do more than that," Mrs. Minami snapped.

What? Do more than your best? Is that even possible?!

Mr. Minami sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair away. "It must be because of your ditzy personality."

"My personality isn't ditzy at all, Dad!" Chiyo said this with a grin. "I'm just cheerful! And-"

"Well you're too cheerful," he snarled.

"Th-There's nothing wrong with being cheerful!" Tomiko said, fiercely defensive. "I think it's great! Chiyo-san's ability to always smile. It-It makes her very likable!"

Mr. Minami frowned. Then he glanced at me. "What do you think then, Hayashi-kun?"

"Chiyo-san's cheerfulness is a very good part of her," I said with a serious expression. And here I thought Mom was bad. It seemed Chiyo had it even worse. "She is a very kind person, and she isn't 'ditzy' at all. Sh-"

He sighed. "As I thought, it's no good when you ask her friends."

Wow. He just interrupted me. Talk about rude!

"We'll be leaving then, Chiyo," Mr. Minami said. He barely glanced at her as he and his wife disappeared into the crowd.

I glanced at Chiyo. She was staring at the ground with a calm, emotionless look.

"Chiyo-san, are you okay?" Tomiko asked quietly.

Chiyo glanced at her and then smiled. "Yeah. My parents are just a bit tiring, that's all."

"You know," I said. "You don't always have to smile. You can - It's fine to cry and get mad every once in a while."

Chiyo just smiled at me. "Thank you, Rika-senpai. And Tomiko-senpai, you were great back there! I can't believe you said so much!" Her eyes widened and became more excited.

Tomiko blushed, shaking her head profusely. "N-Not at all, Chiyo-san! I-I couldn't. I still couldn't."

"You can do it!" Chiyo said with a pat on Tomiko's arm. "Don't worry. You'll definitely be able to talk smoothly soon. Just keep working hard!"

Tomiko smiled. "Thank you."

Was it all a mask? Was Chiyo's bubbliness just a persona? I sighed as we parted and I headed towards the Central Salon.

"Rika, there you are." A finger tapped my shoulder. I turned around and found Mom standing there in full business attire.

"Mom! I thought you weren't coming," I said. Really, after meeting Chiyo's parents, Mom seemed a whole lot nicer.

She sighed, arms on her hips. "That's what I thought too, but my meeting was cancelled. I had some time, so I figured I could stop by."

I smiled, genuinely. "Thank you. Did Onee-san come too?"

"Yes. She's in the Central Salon right now," she replied. "Your dad couldn't make it, since he wants to take time off in November."

November… It must be for me. I nodded. "Then did you see my class's booth yet?"

"Not yet. Will you come with me?" she asked.

"Yes." We began walking towards the West gym.

"Oh yes, Rika. Next week, you'll be going on another date with Minoru-kun." Mom said this as if she were telling me what we'd be having for dinner.

I nearly tripped, and Mom shot me a stare, warning me not to be a bumbling klutz in public. Or maybe she was telling me not to argue with her.

"Why do I have to go on another date?" I asked. "Isn't one good enough?"

"Well, is one date good enough with your Haninozuka?" Mom asked in reply. I watched the floor as we walked, then I shrugged. "Besides, I'm letting you date Haninozuka. In return, I only ask that you politely and sweetly go on a monthly date with Minoru-kun. That's not bad, is it?"

I nodded. "It isn't. What day is it?"

"Next Saturday," she said.

"Alright."

* * *

><p>And so, by the time I arrived at the Central Salon, there was less than an hour left of the festival. Mom talked a lot with my teacher, and I couldn't just run off to the Host Club. Half way through, Kimiko joined us. She really liked the Venice.<p>

I stopped by a bathroom on my way. As I was washing my hands, familiar voices began speaking.

"Fine! Fine! I get it already, Aya! I'll give up on Honey, geez!"

Ah. It's Girl 1: Ashika Suzume.

"Good." Hayakawa let out a sigh of relief.

"No kidding! Maybe we can finally stop talking about the Host Club." It seemed Girl 2 was still hanging out with them.

"Ugh! But, Aya! After all of my - all of _our_ - hard work, you want me to give up?!"

"Yes! Besides, Honey probably wouldn't make a good boyfriend."

"Yeah right. You used to agree with me that he'd make an interesting boyfriend," Ashika replied.

"Come on, Suzume." Hayakawa said in persistance. "There are way more better guys out there."

"I don't think so," Ashika said huffily.

"I totally agree with Aya!" Girl 2 interjected. "So, let's stop talking about the Host Club!"

"But the cake must have worked by now, Aya!" Ashika continued, completely ignoring Girl 2. "All we have to do now is get Hayashi to say she doesn't like Honey! Then, once Honey finds out, he'll give up on her!"

"It's a really long process, Suzume, and it's way too much trouble for what it's worth."

"I don't think so."

"But _I _do."

"Well you don't have to help me! I can do it by myself. Just like with the bow, but this time I'll strike Honey!"

What? What did that mean?

I turned around slowly to watch the group of three gathered by the sinks. They must really like chatting in the bathroom.

"Ashika Suzume!" I called, stomping quickly towards them. "What did you just say?"

Her eyes widened and she backed up quickly. "Ha-Hayashi-san?! How long have you been there?"

"Since the beginning," Girl 2 answered for me.

"You knew?" Ashika shot a glare at Girl 2. "Why didn't you say anything then, you idiot?!"

She sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Why should I? It's not like you listen to me anyway. Aya's not so bad, but you're terrible."

"What did you say?!" Ashika leaned towards Girl 2. She shook a fist threateningly.

I grabbed that fist and pushed her against the nearby stall door. "Forget her! Tell me what you just said!" I seized her uniform collar tightly. "What did you say about a bow?"  
>Her eyes narrowed and a smug smile appeared. "Hayashi-san. That's right. I was the one who cut your bow and threw it in the pool. It was my idea too."<p>

"I see," I said, staring into those bright amber eyes. My right hand dropped to my side as my left hand kept a good grip on her clothes.

"What are you going to-"

My fist cut her off, making contact with her cheek. I let go and she stumbled away to the side.

"What the fuck! Are you crazy?!" Ashika screamed, glaring at me. "You wanna fight?!" She threw a wimpy fist towards me. I caught it easily, then pulled her towards my right. There was shouting going on all around me, but I didn't give a damn about the other people.

A pair of hands began to tug on my arms. Hayakawa was yelling that I stop. I brushed her off.

Then I launched a hard kick into Ashika's stomach. She went flying away from me, slamming into the stall wall.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Arms wrapped around me, pulling me away. I fought against the force.

"Let me go! I'm not done yet!" There were too many people holding on to me. I could thrash and kick, but it was no use. She was getting farther and farther away. "Ashika Suzume! I am _not_ done with you! My bow! I'll get revenge! For my bow! I'll snap you in half! I'll throw you in the ocean!"

I was tossed out of the bathroom, falling on my knees to the floor.

"Calm down!" Some random teacher yelled at me.

There were idiots gathering around, whispering and gossiping about what had happened. I hated them all at the moment. They were all assholes, preventing me from getting revenge. My precious bow was in its sad state because of _her._

"What you just did was absolutely unforgivable," that random idiotic teacher was saying. "We are going to the Chairman now!"

That idiot grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly away from the bathroom. We marched down several hallways until finally arriving at double doors. The idiot knocked on the doors. We were inside quite quickly.

"What is it?" Tamaki's dad asked.

"She suddenly punched and kicked a fellow student!" the teacher said. His grip on my arm was starting to hurt. There were definitely nails digging in.

"What?" Mr. Suoh sat up straighter. "What's your name?"

"Hayashi Rika," I said, staring with unfocused eyes at the edge of his desk.

"And the student you hurt?" he asked.

"Ashika Suzume," I replied.

"Well, at least you're being honest," Mr. Suoh said with a kind smile. "Tell me, Hayashi-san, why did you hurt Ashika-san?"

Huh. I thought he wouldn't ask.

I stared straight into his brown eyes. "During the summer, someone took my precious red bow, cut it in half, and threw it into the pool. Today, I found out that person was Ashika Suzume. That's why."

"Your precious red bow…" Mr. Suoh stared to the side in thought. "Ah, yes. Hayashi Rika, the one who was well known for having an obnoxiously large red bow in her hair." He smiled at me.

"Mr. Chairman!" the idiot teacher yelled. "Aren't you going to punish her?"

Mr. Suoh leaned back in his chair. "I'm sure your parents will take care of that. Of course, if this happens again, you will be expelled. I also expect that you take care of Ashika-san's hospital bill." He looked me in the eye. "And, you will need to apologize. It's understandable that you'd be mad at her, however, violence will not bring your bow back to its original state."

No, but I'd might be able to forgive her if I smacked her silly. Why do I have to apologize to that bitch? She didn't - and probably won't - apologize to me for fucking up my bow! And she poisoned me with some shit!

I kept a calm and poised expression. Nothing would get past this mask. It would be too dangerous.

"Well? Hayashi-san? Is that agreeable?" Mr. Suoh's head tilted to the side in question.

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman."

He smiled. "Good. Now please wait outside while we contact your parents." The teacher practically dragged me outside of the office and kept squeezing my arm while we stood in wait.

Great. Mom is going to kill me. She's going to murder me. She's going to chop me up, mash me up, and then toss me out.

Shit.

When I heard hurried footsteps, I thought it was Mom here to kill me. Instead, it was Ashika's parents.

"You! You must be Hayashi Rika!" Mrs. Ashika screeched. Her short hair was dyed a hideous brownish-red color and curled in an Obaa-san manner. She looked old and ugly even with all that makeup and lipstick and fake eyelashes.

Ashika Suzume's dad had light brown hair, a color that was very similar to the Chairman's. There was very little hair, just a circle on top; he was obviously balding. His eyes were dull and small, and he was skinny and just as ugly as his wife.

I bowed at them anyway. Most of my motions and speech were automatic. If I let my real emotions break through, I'd be an angry, screaming mess. "Yes." I felt the stupid teacher let go of my arm. Glancing at it, I could see finger and nail prints embedded in my skin. Great. I brushed my arm lightly in hopes that'd help.

A hand grabbed my shoulder and jerked me up. Then Mrs. Ashika slapped me. She was glaring at me and looked furious.

"Disgusting child!" she shrieked. "How dare you hurt my Suzume!"

Ew. I wish I can puke right now. Blehhhh. She's so ugly!

I bowed again. "I'm sorry." There wasn't a millimeter of genuinity and truth behind that statement.

"You should be!" she snarled. She slapped me again. And it really did hurt. "You should be glad I'm not going to sue your family! Or press any sort of charges!"

Go to hell you hag.

"Atsuko." Mr. Ashika stepped forward and stopped her hand. What a surprise! There's someone that is somewhat _sane _in this shitty family! He stared at me with cold brown eyes.

His hand was so fast, it looked like a blur for a moment. He smacked the back of my head. Damn it! Are they trying to kill all my brain cells? Or make me more pissed off? If they hit me one more time, I'll be sending them both to join their daughter in the hospital!

"I'm sorry, Atsuko," Mr. Ashika murmured lovingly to his wife. "I know you'd rather do this yourself, but I don't want you to dirty your hands."

"Oh, Atsushi." Mrs. Ashika stared up with a sweet gaze.

Bleh! Disgusting! Gross! Ew! I feel like I'm rolling in a tub of centipedes!

"Rika!"

Great, now comes Mom. Time to prepare for death. I hate them. They're all so damn annoying! All these stupid rules and expectations. Fuck society!

Suzume's parents turned towards Mom with disapproving stares. Oh damn. They'll blame Mom for not having taught me better, and then she'll be even more mad at me.

"So you're this child's mother?" Mrs. Ashika asked, pointing at me.

Mom glanced at me with a concerned gaze and then nodded. "Yes." Then she bowed, deeply. All the way to ninety degrees. "I am very sorry!"

"Mom." I brushed past the couple to her side.

"Fool," Mrs. Ashika said. "Don't you see that you should be bowing along right next to her?" She had a snide look on her nasty face.

Behind the calm mask was the desire to smash that face in with a fist. I let my body bend to match Mom's position. Then, I said quietly, "I'm sorry. I am very, very sorry. Please forgive me for my rude and inexcusable behavior."

"Rude and inexcusable?" Mrs. Ashika said. "It's not just rude and inexcusable. It is unforgivable! Terrible! You insolent brat! You have hurt my darling child!"

Cause your "darling" child hurt my darling bow.

"I'm sorry!" Mom said.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I am extremely sorry. I regret my actions. I am foolish and shameful."

"Still not enough," Mrs. Ashika said.

Not enough?! What the fuck, lady?! Go to hell already! I've run out of things to say! I don't regret my actions! I only wish that I'd waited until Ashika and I were alone, and then I'd get her! I wish I'd stalked her home. Gotten her somewhere alone and dark, where she wouldn't find out it was me. Besides, I could say this sorry bullshit all day long and not feel it a bit.

"What can I do so that you'll forgive my daughter?"

What? Aw, come on Mom! That's supposed to be my line! I saw her stand up straight, so I soon followed suit.

"What can I do?" I asked.

Mrs. Ashika smiled, looking all pompous. "Our poor Suzume is in the hospital right now. You better pay for all the charges. And you, Hayashi Rika, I expect you listen to every single one of Suzume's wishes during school."

"Only during school?" Mr. Ashika asked.

Her eyes lit up. "You're right," Mrs. Ashika said. "Just during school isn't enough. Once school is over, I expect you to spend… three hours with Suzume until she leaves the hospital."

Dude, she was only kicked! And only once! How long does she have to spend in the damn hospital for that?!

I nodded. "I understand." Then I forced my tongue to form the two words I really didn't want to say, "Thank you."

"Good," Mrs. Ashika said. "The hospital is the one on OOO street. Good day." The two walked away with their heads held up too high.

Mom turned to me with a tired stare. "Let's go home, Rika."

"I'm sorry, Mom," I said. "You even bowed for me-"

"Enough." She patted my arm. "I'm tired. Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>I really wonder why I keep creating these annoying characters for you guys to hate on... Especially in the parent category... Well this event has a reason behind it! :D Can you guess what it is? And the reason isn't like plot related, but for readers kind of thing. Any notice on the change in narration? What'd you think? Was it surprising what Rika did? Honey wasn't OOC right? Thoughts, thoughts, please tell me them all! :)<strong>

**Thank you for reading! :D I'll (hopefully) see you guys next week!**


	49. So begins my personal hell

**Oh snap, we're approaching 50!**

**AnimeBestie: **About your brother... O_O That sucks. That is totally unfair and wrong and bullshit. Bleep those people who did that to you and your family. How was the beach though? Is the weather at your place nice? Lol sleeping during the day. That's still hard. No worries. October is just in a few more weeks! :D Halloween stuff is already coming out. -_- Oh right! I forgot to write this last chapter, but I finished Love Live! Both seasons. It was great. A bit cheesy, but still great, and the characters were cute. And the songs were great! :) Thanks for the awesome recommendation!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Lol, so you hate the Ashikas that much? Thank you for your review! :)

**aaa17:** So many ***s haha. I'm glad you liked it! ^-^ Thanks for the review! Love ya too!

**candymoon2315:** Ooh thanks for the explanation! Haha the Ashikas were purposefully annoying. I find them despicable myself. And I believe it's giraffe. Close spelling though. XD Thank you for your lovely review! It's nice to see you again!

**Hime1234:** Omg your misreading. . Gwah! So inappropriate, but it's a bit funny too! Thank you for reviewing so consistently!

**articwolfgirl347:** Heeeey! 8D You're back! Yay! And actually, that mental condition thing made me do a bit of research. But I still think... well more will be explained in this chapter. Thank you though for mentioning it, cause it did make me rethink. And thanks for reviewing! :D

**AquilonIII:** Hi! It's nice to meet you! :) Lol and no I don't think you're reading too much. It's great analysis! Please continue to tell me your thoughts! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Amandalucia:** Hello there! ^-^ Lol things will happen when the time's right (ie. the engagement being cancelled). Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Oeve: **Hm... Yes, I see what you mean by it's a bit rushed. Thanks for pointing it out! I'll do my best! Hopefully, this chapter will be a bit clearer. Thank you! :D

**itte'sasprite:** Interesting name you have. Hi! And yes, you are right with the whole prideful thing. And thanks for mentioning it cause I actually never considered it. There's more explanation in this chapter. Hehe, Minoru is a tsundere? :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**AwakenedSecrets:** Lol. Your review. XD It was funny how much you hate Suzume, lol. And yes! I love your idea about using the gang. I'm thinking about it. Do you want the gang to show up again? Thank you so much for your review! :D

**DearChibico:** That plot twist you just suggested... Too good. :O I never thought of that before, but maybe it'll come true now. :) Thank you for your review!

**Strawberry Neko: **Yay! Thanks for your kind words! I put in a bit more fluff for you. :P It's coming in tiny doses lol. Thank you for reviewing! And for reading for such a long time haha.

**15samcre: **Haha thanks for your review! ^-^ I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to read!

**J053D4N13L35C083D0: **Wow. Your name is real complicated. O.O Although skull paste certainly doesn't sound bad. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**TbKitty00:** Hello! I don't know if you've caught up yet, but thank you for the multiple reviews! If you can, please tell me more of your thoughts on a particular chapter or the whole story. Thank you! :D

**Golden Llama Goddess: **Hi. You have a cool name. 8D Lol thanks for your super nice review! Have you read Dragon Ball? I'm glad someone said something about all the references. XD Thank you! I hope you'll continue to read!

**Not-completely-human: **So if you're not completely human... are you an elf?! Or a fairy? :O Or wait, you're a zombie! Lol about the whole screw this idea. That'd be great. I'll consider it, and might do something like that just toned down a bit. Thank you so much for your lovely review! :)

**You guys are too awesome. XD Thank you all for the new follows, faves, and review! Now, onwards! And warning about the swear words.**

* * *

><p>I was still waiting for Mom to yell at me when we arrived home. However, she was silent, and I followed her all the way up to her office.<p>

"Rika, what are you doing?" she finally asked. She sat down in her seat with an exhausted sigh.

"Um." I didn't know how to answer her question. Just what exactly was she asking? What was I doing kicking Ashika Suzume? Or-

"I'm asking what are you doing standing in my office? Why don't you go to your own room?" Mom asked.

"I thought," I said slowly. I stared at my feet. "Aren't you going to yell at me?"

"Do you want me to?"

I shook my head.

"Have you learned your lesson? Do you really regret what you did? Are you going to help Ashika-san to the best of your abilities? Tell me the truth, Rika."

The truth, huh? So I shook my head again.

Mom sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Even after being yelled at by the Ashikas? Alright, I'll give you a few more reasons to regret what you did. One: you have shamed the Hayashi family. Now people will talk about that one Hayashi child who beat up an Ashika."

"But-"

"Now, I know," Mom said, shooting me a stare to shut up. "I know that your bow is precious. I know you think getting into this much trouble is worth that bow. But others don't, Rika. They won't understand why you care so much about some cheap fabric. They'll talk. You have shamed our family, Rika. What if people start calling you violent? A crazy child? Have you forgotten what the others used to say when you first joined the boarding school?"

Ah, she's talking about those people.

"You should be glad the Ashika family didn't press charges. They could have had you sued for assault. Have you forgotten all reason?" She leaned forward, staring into my eyes.

"But couldn't we win in a lawsuit?" I asked.

"You think we'd win?" she said. She crossed her arms, leaning back in her plush chair. "What would our argument be? That Ashika Suzume tore up your bow? What proof do you have that she did it?"

"She said so herself," I replied.

"Alright. But even if she admitted doing that in court, do you think the judges will believe that destroying a bow deserves being assaulted? Being attacked?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but Mom continued, "They won't _understand,_ Rika! How many times do I have to say this? They won't understand! Now if the bow cost a couple million, was some antique object with _value,_ maybe they would. And we could possibly turn the court around and press charges against the Ashikas for destroying our property. But your bow isn't any of those things. Do you understand yet?"

When I was silent, she nodded with a sigh. "You even had to pull a stunt like this during the Cultural Festival too. Do you know how many people were there? Do you know how many people will now talk about this? If this had happened during a regular school day, it'd probably only go through the school. But now it'll be carried out by the parents. Do you know what this could do to our business?"

I guess she does have some points. I really should have done this in secret. I should have waited.

I nodded.

"You understand now?" Mom asked. "What your foolish, rash decision has cost us?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm sorry."

"Good," she said with a sigh. "For three weeks then, you won't be going anywhere else. You go to school, you go to the Chess Club, and you go to the hospital. Then you come back. That's it. No friends coming over. No going out with friends. Or boyfriend." She gave me a sharp stare when she said that. "Got it? And you will not be going to the Host Club. I'll make that clear to Minoru-kun."

Great. So I'm not only being punished by the Ashika family, Mom has to add her own crap on top. I nodded again, trying not to sigh. "Yes."

"Good. Go to your room, Rika," she replied.

I trudged out. I really should have waited. Damn was I an idiot. I can't go to the Host Club for three weeks? This is going to be painful. What is Mitsukuni going to think? Oh no. What if _he_ thinks I'm some crazy violent monster now too? No no. He wouldn't think that. Right?

I sat down at my desk just as my phone rang. And it was Mitsukuni.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rika! I heard what happened."

Oh dear. I don't want to hear this. I buried my face into my hand with a barely repressed sigh.

"Are you alright?"

Huh?

I was silent for a moment, before remembering to reply, "I-I, yeah! I'm fine. I thought… you wouldn't ask something like that."

"Huh? Why not? You got in a fight with Ashika Suzume right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Well it wasn't much of a fight. I just… beat her up."

"Because she was the one who cut up your bow right?" he asked. "I heard that part too. Is she alright?"

"I only punched and kicked her once each, so she should be fine," I replied. "But I'll have to spend all my time with her, so I won't be able to spend as much time with you. I, uh-"

"Really? Then-Then can I come over right now?"

"Eh? You can't. My mom wouldn't allow it."

Mitsukuni chuckled. "It's okay! I'll sneak in. There's a tree near your bedroom window right?"

I hopped out of my chair, walking briskly towards the window he was talking about. "Yes, there is. But the tree branch is way too far away, I've tried before."

Then there was a knock on the window pane. I pushed the curtains aside, revealing a grinning Mitsukuni. I stared at him breathlessly for a moment before smiling. Then I slid the window open.

"Hey," I said, shutting my phone.

"Hey," he said. He dropped out of the window and reached over to take my hand. "So what happened?"

"I won't be able to go to the Host Club," I replied. "For three weeks, and I'll have to stay by Ashika's side during school. So sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" he asked with a smile. "It's not you who decided on that right?"

"True but I was the one who…" I stared down at his shirt. "I shouldn't have hurt Ashika right? Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Eh well," he said slowly. "You-You had your reasons, and so long as Suzu-chan is alright, I-I don't really see why I should be mad. Besides, it's not my place to be mad, right?" He smiled brightly.

Damn. The one person who can actually make me feel ashamed of what I did… I frowned. And now I won't be able to see him much. I bet that Ashika will take up all my time at school. She won't let me talk to Mitsukuni for a second.

"I'm really sorry Mitsukuni," I said, hanging my head. And this time, I meant it.

Great. Now he knows how violent I can be. Crap. I really should have thought it through a bit more.

"It's okay! Don't apologize to me!" he replied. I looked up and saw him grinning. "Want a hug?"

I nodded. Of course I'd want a hug. I'd want a hug from Mitsukuni anytime, any day. The two of us took a step forward until we were inches apart. I was blushing even before he had his arms around me.

Uwaa! Why am I enjoying this kind of thing when I'm supposed to be moping, regretting, and pissed? I heard Mitsukuni chuckle.

"You really aren't mad?" I asked. "Or-Or like want to break up or-"

"No way! Why would I want to break up over some little thing like this?" he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"But, I'm violent," I replied. "When I get really mad, I turn violent. Don't you think - wouldn't you rather a nonviolent person?"

"Nope!" He pulled away, grinning as usual. "I think I can accept this side of Rika! Along with the cute and nice side!"

Ugh. I blushed. "Dummy," I mumbled, lowering my head. Then I rubbed my eyes furiously. Why was he so nice? And just how did I find such an amazing person? And why was he with me? What did I do to deserve someone like him? "You make me want to cry."

"Wh-What?! No no no! Don't cry, Rika!" he said. He seemed quite concerned and panicked. He was even flailing his arms around in the air. Cute. "I promised to Minami-san that I wouldn't make you cry, after all!"

I smiled, then chuckled. "I can't believe you remember that." I looked up at him. Seeing his brilliant, warm grin made everything bad seem to fade away.

He giggled. "Yup!"

Then there was a knock on the door. "Rika-sama?"

My eyes widened and I was shoving Mitsukuni towards the window in a flash. "Ha-Hang on Azumi!"

Mitsukuni scrambled out the window, and I had it shut in a few seconds. He waved at me with a happy grin before jumping onto the branch. I smiled and managed a wave, before hastily yanking the curtains shut.

"Coming!" I hurried to the door and opened it. "What is it?"

Azumi stared at me skeptically. "What took so long?"

I smiled. "It wasn't like my door was locked, Azumi! I was finishing a math problem, that's all."

"I see." She glanced over at my desk. "I thought I heard other voices though… Never mind, Rika-sama. Dinner's ready."

I nodded. "Yes."

* * *

><p>And so began my three weeks of hell.<p>

The first day at the hospital, I found out about her condition. Her head and stomach were bandaged up. At first, I thought the doctors had finally discovered her brain damage. But then I heard she almost got a concussion from hitting the bathroom stall. There was also an ice pack on her cheek, which was swollen. And her stomach had internal bleeding.

Her parents were there, and they were, as expected, hysterical. They screamed at me some more, coating me in their delightful spit while they were at it. Then they proceeded to tell me that if I did not do everything their daughter wanted, they would sue me. If their daughter was happy, then they would brush this incident off. They wouldn't speak of it ever again. Ah, being threatened sure is a pleasant experience!

They left after a while, and I sat by Ashika's bed. She slept for about an hour, before waking to have me pour some water for her. Then she had me turn the TV on for her, and do some head stands and cartwheels. I have no idea what goes on in that tiny brain of hers.

Eventually, I was able to go home, where I did nothing but homework, read, and laze around on my bed. I talked to Mitsukuni for a while on the phone about the success of the Cultural Festival. He suggested coming over again, but I shot it down. I didn't want to make Mom any more mad at me.

Then came Monday.

"Hey, Ri-chan!" Mitsukuni waved at me from down the hall with his characteristic flowery grin.

I smiled. "Hello!"

Takashi nodded. Then there was a tap on my shoulder.

"Hi, Aya-chan!"

"Hi Honey," Hayakawa said with a smile. "I just wanted to tell you, Hayashi-san, that I've been taking notes for Suzume. I'll give them to you at the end of the day, is that alright?"

I nodded, smiling genuinely. "Yes. Thank you so much."

"It's nothing. She's my friend, after all," she said. "See you then."

"Bye."

* * *

><p>"I heard what happened," Minoru told me when I arrived at the Chess Club.<p>

"Yeah," I replied with a sigh. "I'd like to play against Hatsumi-san today."

He shrugged. "Sure. You'll have to ask her once she gets here. But, about our date this Saturday, where do you want to go?"

"Eh?" I said. "I don't know. I don't know. You can decide."

"Then, how about the amusement park?" he asked.

"No," I replied immediately. I shook my head. The amusement park was Mitsukuni and my place. I didn't want him to ruin it. "No."

"Don't like roller coasters?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah," I lied.

"That's a surprise. Then how about-"

"You think about it, Funaki," I said. "You can decide. I don't care."

He stared at me silently for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

It turned out that Ashika was in the hospital for two more days. I brought her notes that Hayakawa collected. It was the second day when Hayakawa told me something new.

"Um, Hayashi-san, I'd like to say this beforehand. I'm very sorry if Suzume gets overboard with… well, her wishes," she said. "You see, Suzume has a weak body. And when she was younger, she was sick a lot. Even now it takes a while for her injuries and illnesses to heal. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, Suzume kind of has a controlling, um, complex. She likes to be in control, and that's because she doesn't have much control over her body's weakness. So, I'm very sorry if she gets overboard." Then Hayakawa bowed deeply.

"Uh, Hayakawa-san, why are you apologizing?" I asked. If anyone was going to tell me this kind of stuff, shouldn't it be Ashika's parents? "It-It's fine. I understand. Thank you for telling me."

She straightened up and smiled at me. "Thank you, Hayashi-san."

I nodded. "I'll be going then. See you."

"Bye."

* * *

><p>Once Ashika returned to school, a whole new kind of hell began.<p>

First, I had to wait for her at the school doors.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait with you?" Mitsukuni asked.

I nodded. "You should go on ahead first."

"You sure?" he said again.

I rolled my eyes and said exasperatedly, "Yes. _Mitsu_-chan_."_

Once I caught a glimpse of his face, however, I instantly regretted what I said. His concerned gaze faltered, and I thought I saw pain flicker in his brown eyes.

"Sorry Mitsukuni," I said quickly. "But you really don't need to wait with me. I'll be fine, but I don't want you to be late or cold or anything."

He smiled, and then said, "Okay. I'll go in first. But if you need any help, don't forget to ask me."

"Okay. Thank you." I managed a smile as he entered the school building with Mori trailing after.

It was quite awkward, standing there waiting for her. Everyone else was mingling and heading inside. People cast curious glances at me, and I began picking up their chatter and mindless gossip.

"What do you think she's doing?"

"Waiting for someone?"

"Hey isn't that Hayashi Rika?"

"But I thought she had a huge red bow."

"Yeah but I heard it was because of that bow that she got in a fight with Ashika Suzume."

"I heard she beat the crap out of Ashika Suzume!"

"Really?"

"Do you think she's a bully?"

"She doesn't look like a bully, though."

"Bullies never look like bullies."

"What makes you think that?"

I gave the obnoxious idiots the brightest, cutest, and most innocent smile I could muster. They paused mid-step before continuing. One smiled back at me. Another waved, so I waved too.

"Maybe she isn't a bully?"

"Told you she isn't a bully."

"You never know what might be behind that innocent look though."

"It's actually kinda creepy."

Oh damn you all! You're so fucking loud! Can't you guys shut up?! Well, just in time, Ashika showed up. She was wearing a navy blue beanie hat that probably covered any bandages on her head.

"First off," she said the moment she reached me. "You won't speak unless spoken to. And yes, that does include with other people. Which means you won't talk to anyone else unless I give you permission."

I wish I'd kicked her harder…

"I'm sorry, Ashika-san," I said. "But that was not in our agreement."

She smiled. "The agreement was that you do everything you can to make me happy. And, to make me happy, you must do everything I tell you to do."

She's a control freak. And I'm, what, her slave?

"I don't see how my speaking to others could possibly make you unhappy, Ashika-san," I said as calmly as I could.

"Oh it'll make me unhappy alright," she replied, placing her hands on her hips. "So _don't_ talk to anyone but me today."

Fuck you!

"Also," she dumped a stack of books in my arms as she said this, "you will be carrying this. You will also accompany me from one class to another. I don't care if that makes you late. You will do it. No sass, no sarcasm, and no back talking." Her eyes narrowed. "Understand? Little minion."

Her last sentence was quite stupidly said. Sass, sarcasm, and back talking are all very similar.

I nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Oh, and call me Ashika-sama," she said. "And I'll call you Minion. Let's go."

Damn it. Ugh, someone shoot me now! I really wouldn't mind being kidnapped instead. At least I won't have to listen to… Never mind. Being kidnapped would suck too.

I followed her through the bustling Ouran halls to her first classroom. There were only two minutes left before school started, and my class was quite a ways away.

"Set my books on my desk," she said, pointing to the desk. I did. Well, more like I _dumped_ her books on her desk. But who cares about the difference? She glared at me. "Next time, do it more gently. Minion."

I nodded, then I turned away to hurry off towards my own class.

"You better be here the moment the bell rings," she called after me.

I nodded as I crossed the doorway.

"Hey!"

_Ring!_

I slammed the classroom door shut and sprinted down the halls. Just my luck. The girl that I have to listen to is batshit crazy!

Of course, I still talked to Mitsukuni. In fact, her telling me not to talk to him just made me want to talk to him more. A few minutes before the bell rang, I said, "Ashika told me not to talk to you. Actually, she told me I couldn't talk to anyone, but-"

"What? Rika-senpai, you can't talk to anyone?!" Chiyo interrupted.

"Minami-san," the teacher called. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah-Ah!" She jumped in her seat. "Nothing, sensei! I'm so sorry!"

The teacher nodded. "Then, everyone, try solving this problem."

I turned to Chiyo with a smile. "I'm technically not allowed to talk to anyone."

"And why is that?" she asked curiously, leaning forward.

"Ashika Suzume has forbidden me to do so, and I have to listen to her every word," I replied with a frown.

Chiyo's reaction was completely unexpected. I thought she'd frown and possibly go and yell at Suzume. But, instead, her eyes lit up. "Ri-Rika-senpai! How did she get this right? How did she get this privilege?!"

"Minami-san, keep it down back there," the teacher said once again.

"Sorry sensei!" Chiyo grinned. "I'm just asking for a bit of help."

The two of us bent our heads closer, and I whispered in reply, "Why do you call it a right and a privilege? She's a tyrant, you know!"

"Right, but what can she make you do?" she asked excitedly. "Like-Like, could she make you hug someone? Even if it you didn't want to?"

I tilted my head in consideration. "Yeah, I guess. Hugging someone isn't that bad though." Certainly better compared to calling her "Ashika-sama" and responding to the word "Minion."

A little squeal came out of Chiyo, and she continued in that enthusiastic manner of hers, "Then, Senpai, how come you have to listen to her?"

"Because she destroyed my bow, and I punched and kicked her as revenge. Except it's my fault now, and so I have to listen to her."

"Then-Then, if I destroy your bow, and you punch and kick me," she said. "Does that mean I'll be able to order you around?" For some very unfathomable reason, she made that XD face.

"Why would you want that to happen?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Cause!" she squealed. She seemed to blush though. "Ah! I want that power!"

"Minami-san, and you too, Hayashi-san, stop talking!" the teacher scolded.

"Sorry!" we said in unison.

I glanced over at Mitsukuni, who just smiled at me. Once class was over, I stood up, feeling resigned.

"Don't tell Ashika that I talked to you guys," I said gloomily. "Now bye." Then I tore down the hall towards her classroom.

I arrived panting. Running in that poofy, yellow dress is _not_ easy. It's like trying to run with your hands tied tightly behind your back. And maybe wearing a corset. Or a metal skirt.

"You're slow," she said to me.

I nodded.

"Say something, you idiot!" she hissed.

"What?" I said, as I scooped up her books. I really didn't understand why she brought so many effing books!  
>She seemed caught off guard by my response, then a smirk appeared on that nasty face of hers. She whipped out her phone and pressed a few buttons. "Okay, Minion. When I nod, you're going to say, 'I don't like Honey.'"<p>

"I don't like Honey," I said immediately.

She scowled. "Are you an idiot? I said, when I nod!"

I nodded.

"Let's try that again," she said. Then she smacked a button and nodded at me.

"I don't like Honey," I said like a robot. Mitsukuni would know it wasn't really me talking anyway. Why would I call him Honey? When I can call him by his first name! Woo!

She maintained that smug, all-knowing smirk. Yeah, as if I don't know what you're planning. Haha! This bitch doesn't know that Mitsukuni and I are already dating! Plus we've got our own rumor guard set up. He'll know I'm not telling the truth. She's an idiot!

"Let's go," she said, brushing past me as if she was just _so_ cool. I followed after her, and we were soon joined by Hayakawa.

"How are you holding?" she asked me quietly after greeting her "friend."

I nodded.

Ashika glanced back at me with calculating eyes. She was obviously waiting for me to break our little agreement. Then she can go back home and whine about it to her parents and then more hell will descend upon me.

"Suzume." Hayakawa took a few steps to walk beside said girl. "Don't go overboard, okay?"

"Don't tell me what to do, Aya," she replied with as much sass as possible. "There's no way I can go overboard with a bitch like her."

"Suzume!" Hayakawa said warningly. "Hayashi-san is a human too. She has limits. Don't be ridiculous. I'm trying to help you here."

"You're trying to help _her,"_ Ashika replied, eyes narrowing in growing anger. "And I don't like that! I thought we were friends!"

Hayakawa frowned. "So did I."

"You've changed."

"You did."

"No, you did! You used to agree with me on everything! But then-then you just changed! Like, what the hell, Aya!"

"What the hell yourself," Hayakawa shot back. "If you can't respect my thoughts and opinions, then you aren't being a friend."

"Like you know a thing about being a friend," Ashika said.

"I do! Unlike you. You always trample others' feelings, especially Ruri! Why do you think she's mad at you?"

"You're all idiots!" Ashika finally yelled, attracting the attention of nearby students. "Idiots! Every one of you!"

"Suzume!"

"I'm done with you! Don't talk to me, ever again!" Then she stormed into the classroom.

Hayakawa sighed. I patted her arm and gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm fine, Hayashi-san. Hang in there. If she goes crazy about things, you can come find me."

I nodded, and then mouthed the words, "Thank you."

She smiled. "See you then."

* * *

><p><strong>So chapter length will probably stay about this long. Sorry it's not longer, but school. Bleh. _ So yeah, some information about Suzume. Do you hate her even more now? Did you like the little fluff and conversation with Chiyo? Lol can you guess why she was asking those questions? XD <strong>

**And Ruri is a character you've never met. And may never meet. Idk right now. Oh yeah, what are your preferences on angst? Cause I have an angsty part prepared (it's gonna be so good, I'm excited but I haven't gotten there yet sadly) and I'm wondering whether you guys are up for it. Please tell me all your thoughts! Thank you for reading! :D**


	50. Strange events - an alternate universe?

**Hi! Sorry for the week-late update. Just a warning, since school's poopy and all that, I'll probably be updating once every 2 weeks. In return, I'll make the chapters longer, okay? :)**

**PhoenixOtaku:** The Suzume mini-arc is wrapping up! :D Yeah she's pretty annoying. Thank you for reviewing!

**AnimeBestie:** Am I really that much older than you? Well, October's in like a week. Yay! o(^▽^)o Hey, if you like Uta no Prince-sama (since it seems quite popular) please tell me! Thanks for your review! :) **  
><strong>

**AquilonIII: **Ooh yes, there will be more Minoru. I'm glad you're enjoying this! ^-^ And thank you for the lovely feedback! It helps a lot to know what readers are thinking. Hehe, hope you'll like this chapter!

**itte'sasprite:** Lol everyone's revenge plan is so unique. XD Deep fry? I would never have thought of that. Thank you for reviewing!

**J053D4N13L35C083D0: **Wow. :O Ripping a skull out... Lol thank you for reading and reviewing! :) I'm glad Suzume can invoke such anger within you. Maybe I shouldn't be though.

**Hime1234: **Your thoughts are pretty spot-on! Please read to find out more. Thank you for reviewing so consistently! :D

**Strawberry Neko: **Yeah, school is poopy for me. It's bittersweet. How's school for you? As for more Host pairings, lol, any suggestions? I'll try and actually introduce this Ruri character in! Thanks for the reviewww! ^-^ And no worries, all angsty stuff shall end in fluffiness.

**15samcre:** Hmm. When you're done with the chapter, please tell me what you think! :) Did the new sides of Ashika lead to what you were thinking? And thank you for your review!

**AwakenedSecrets:** Yay! An angst lover! I like it if it's not over-the-top, then it's just funny. Lol, the gang is... well no spoilers! :D Thanks for your lovely and sweet reviews! I'll always enjoy reading them.

**DaPandaGirl:** Thanks for the wonderful review! ^-^ And that "corny" phrase actually sounded cute to me hehe.

**TbKitty00: **Hello there! I don't know if you've caught up, but considering where your last review was at... Anywho, thank you for reviewing! :)

**Oeve:** Could you elaborate on Mitsukuni f***ing things up? Like what exactly what that equate to? Any examples? I'm quite curious now. Thank you for the review! :D I hope this chapter isn't too rushed either.

**kyoya3guest:** Yooo! ^-^ So glad you liked it! I hope you'll like how things wrap up. Thank you for reviewing!

**Sherlockianyepguest:** Lol that idea would be pretty funny. :DIt's sort of implemented in here and yet not really... Anyway, thank you for the review! Any reasons why you think it's Chiyo?

**nanimiluvix:** Hi! Thanks for reading and reviewing! ^-^ Lol cute emoticon.

**Thanks to everyone who followed and faved! Hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

><p>Ashika and Hayakawa didn't speak to each other for the rest of the day. I stayed silent and didn't say much in front of Ashika. But during class, I chatted with my classmates freely. How was she supposed to find out anyway? And who cared if she did?<p>

At the end of the day, I was exhausted. I played a lazy game of chess, before putting my head down on the desk and trying to take a nap. At least club activities all ended at the same time. I rode the car back with Mitsukuni.

I wanted to take a nap the moment I was back, but Azumi told me that Mom wanted to see me. So, I slouched my way over to her office.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

"Yes," she replied. She was typing away on her computer. "Hang on. Okay." She looked up at me. "How was it?"

"How was what?" I said.

She frowned slightly. "You know what I'm talking about, Rika. How did your day go? What did Ashika ask of you?"

I sighed, and then said, "She had me carry her books, and I was supposed to only 'speak unless spoken to.' And she told me I couldn't talk to anyone unless I had her permission, but I didn't follow that. I talked to my classmates when she wasn't around. It was alright."

This time, Mom sighed. "I knew I should have told you this."

"What?" I took a step forward.

"I know I want you to please the Ashikas, but we are a high-class family, Rika." Mom looked me straight in the eye. "Which means, you don't have to bend to her every will. You should help her in any way you can, but there are limits. You don't have to piggy-back ride her down the halls."

"I wasn't doing that though," I replied, more defensively than I'd intended.

"I know. But her telling you that you can't talk to anyone else is ridiculous. Our two families are on the same status. There is no reason why you should follow something like that. Carrying her books is fine, because in her injured state it may be more difficult for her to do so herself. But you speaking to others will not slow her healing."

Thank you! Mom is on my side about this! Sort of.

I nodded. "I tried telling her that, but she wouldn't listen. She kept saying that if I didn't do everything she told me to do, she'd tell her parents. Then her parents would come and sue us."

"That's fine. They can't get away with such absurd requests. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you, Rika?" Mom asked. "Set some limits and boundaries. You must be flexible towards her, but there is a line. One, you won't do any of her homework for her. Two, your social life should not impede you from helping her, but it is also something that she has no control over. And three, don't exhaust yourself. Understood?"

"Yes." I smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I'll go do my homework now."

"Yes."

Even though Mom told me that, I still wasn't sure whether I should boldly talk in front of Ashika. I guess I just didn't have the guts to. So, I remained quiet when I was around her.

Hayakawa tried approaching us during lunch. Yes, I even had to eat lunch with her. What a pain in the ass. I might as well feed her her food.

"Suzume, can we talk?" she asked.

Ashika frowned, staring down at her meal. "No. Go away."

"I want to talk, though," Hayakawa said.

"No. Go away."

"Suzume. Come on! Don't you want to be friends again?"

"No. _Go_ away."

"But I want to try and fix this, Suzume," Hayakawa persisted. "Don't you? Are you really going to say that you don't ever want to be friends again?"

"_Go away_." She was gritting her teeth now, glaring at the table. Her fists clenched and unclenched.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" I asked quietly.

Her glare latched onto me. "What did you say? _Minion_."

"Go talk to her," I replied with a blank face. "It's not like you have any other friends." It was true. The two of us were sitting all by ourselves at a table near the back of the cafeteria.

"How dare you!" Ashika yelled. She stood up, looking like her head could explode any moment from sheer anger. That'd be nice to see. Really, it'd be the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in years. Maybe in all my life. Kinda like seeing a triple rainbow all the way!

"Please, Suzume," Hayakawa pleaded.

"Really, I feel quite bad for Hayakawa-san," I continued, settling back in my seat. "Always putting up with your crap. I wouldn't be able to stand it. And now she's giving you a chance to apologize and make-up and hug and all that fluffy shit."

Her eyes were bugging now. "You-You."

Hehe. I wonder if her head _is_ going to explode.

"Fuck you!" she screamed. Then she turned to Hayakawa. "And you too! You're both-both complete assholes!"

Then she stormed out, once again attracting the curious and slightly frightened and disgusted stares of students.

Hayakawa sighed, sitting down in the seat Ashika had just occupied.

"Sorry," I said. "I think I made it worse."

"It's fine. Thanks for, well… Suzume really isn't that bad," she said. "I've known her since middle school. She used to live in Osaka, and when she transferred she had the strangest accent. Everyone laughed at her whenever she spoke, and, uh, it was practically like bullying. And I made friends with her but it was only because of her family and name. But, as I got to know her, she really isn't as bad as she makes herself out to be."

"It's hard to believe it," I replied truthfully. "She seems like a complete-"

"I know." Hayakawa sighed. "But if she really values you, she can be very kind. She has never forgotten my birthday, and she has certainly always given me a gift. She sends me emails on every holiday. I once told her about my favorite band, and she immediately looked it up. She sticks up for me. She's-She's a good friend."

I raised my eyebrows. It wasn't like I thought Hayakawa was lying — there wasn't much reason for her to — but it was hard to picture the Ashika she was describing.

Hayakawa smiled. "Still don't believe me huh? Well, she wasn't very interested in boys at first, because they laughed at her accent the most. So her first crush ended up being Honey. And it changed her. She was suddenly, um, like obsessed. Boy obsessed, you could call it. I guess she just really liked him. I liked Honey too, and so there was some friction between us for a while. Then we both agreed that it wouldn't matter who got him in the end. That we should still be friends." She chuckled, even though a sad, wistful look had appeared on her face. "In the end, you were the one who won, huh?"

She looked up at me. "Suzume's always been a sore loser. She's not taking her loss well, that's all. When I decided to give up on Honey, I guess that's when I 'changed,' if what Suzume said was right. I didn't want to talk about him anymore, and I wanted her to give up before she got in too deep. She's probably already in too deep, huh? She's already invested too much of her heart in."

We fell into an uncomfortable silence. Hayakawa tapped her fingers on the table, thinking. I was still trying to wrap my mind around what she'd told me. It was truly, _very _hard to imagine the Ashika Hayakawa had described. Then she sighed and pushed herself up. "I should go. See you."  
>"Hayakawa-san," I said, rushing to my feet too. "Do you think I should go find her?"<p>

"No," she replied with a slow shake of her head. "I'll deal with it."

"But-"

"It's fine." She smiled at me tiredly. "I owe Suzume." Then she left, leaving me behind with a very confusing line.

How? Why? What? Huh?

I'm so confused! Ahhh! Oh, whatever. Who cares.

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Ashika Suzume stormed down the hallway, shooting glares at anyone who looked at her. They were all pests. Annoying, shallow idiots. Screw them all!

"Ah, Suzu-chan, hello!"

She froze. She could recognize that voice anywhere. She turned around to face the grinning third year. Suzume forced a smile. "Hi, Honey!"

"Where's Ri-chan?" Honey asked, beaming innocently.

"She-" Suzume paused. _Perfect timing._ She pulled out her phone. "Actually, Honey, there's something I want to show you." She opened the recording. "You know, I understand your feelings, so I asked Hayashi-san what she thought of you. And this is what she said." She pressed play.

"I don't like Honey."

_What? What is this? Why does it sound like a… a robot? _Suzume frowned.

Honey's eyes widened. "What?! But-But we're friends! Why would she not like me?"

_Oh, of course. He must be the dense type._ So she smiled. "I asked her if she liked you as a… like, crush. You know, dating material, boyfriend material kind of thing."

He tilted his head. "Boy...friend?"

Suzume nodded. "Yeah. And she said that she didn't like you, as in she doesn't have a crush on you."

"Ohh." Honey nodded in understanding. Then he smiled. "Okay then!"

She stared at him blankly. _What the hell?_ "Um, but Honey." She paused to glance around before leaning forward to whisper, "I thought you liked her."

"I do like Ri-chan!" Honey replied loudly with a grin. "Oh, but I like Takashi and Tama-chan and Haru-chan and Kyo-chan and Kao-chan and Hika-"

"Okay! Okay!" Suzume interrupted frustratedly. "I don't mean it like that!"

"I don't get it, Suzu-chan!" he said with a pout. "Can we talk about something else?"

"No!"

"Suzume!" Hayakawa Ayako came running down the hall. "There you are!"

"Ah, Aya-chan! Hello!" Honey beamed brightly.

"Hi," she replied breathlessly as she struggled to catch her breath. "I-I really need to talk to you, Su-Suzume. Now. Please. Please."

"But I _don't_ want to!" Suzume yelled.

"I understand," Ayako continued in the same winded manner. "That-That I have changed. I have, but so have you."

"Why can't you just leave me-"

"Listen to me!" Aya shouted, grabbing the other girl by the shoulders. "Just listen to me, damn it Suzume!"

Suzume blinked in surprise. "Uh, Aya, did you just-"

"Damn it!" Aya yelled. Her eyes widened. "Oh crap! I said it again! Oh who gives a damn!" She turned her head up to scream at the ceiling, "Daaaaamn!"

"A-Aya," Suzume said.

"Look, we can still be friends! I'm sorry what I said to you yesterday. I just got mad. And you were mad. And, look, so what if I changed? We can still be friends! And I didn't change that much!"

"You did," she replied quietly. "You don't care about Honey anymore. You don't want to talk about him anymore. And suddenly, you're on Hayashi's side. Didn't you use to hate her as much as I did? Why'd that change? Why are you suddenly so-so calm about these kinds of things now? Why can't we — why can't we have fun talking about these kinds of things anymore?"

"We can talk about other things, Suzume! It doesn't have to be boys and other people or… or whatever! Like music! And we can still talk about the Host Club! It's just that- Ugh, I don't know how to give these cheesy speeches!" She shook Suzume roughly while looking away, embarrassed.

"Well neither do I!" Suzume yelled back.

Aya stopped. "Wait, does that mean you want to be friends again?"

"Of course I do!" she replied, eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Of course I do, Aya! But I don't know what to say! I was scared! Don't you know this is my first time fighting with a friend?"

Aya sighed, smiling warmly. "It's my first too." Then she stepped forward and embraced Suzume in a hug. "So, um, sorry."

"Me too. I'm sorry."

"What are you two apologizing for?" Honey asked curiously, suddenly reminding the two of them of his presence.

"Ah shit!" Suzume shrieked, panicked, as she stepped out of the hug. "He heard everything! Crap, Aya, crap! He heard everything!"

Aya chuckled, and said, "I know. Does it matter though? You promised you'd give up on him anyway."

"Fine." She scowled. Then she said, "What _were _we apologizing for?"

"Um, yelling at each other?" Aya replied with a shrug.

"Okay," Suzume said.

"Then, you'll also go easy on Hayashi-san?"

"Give me one good reason," she said, looking away with a pout.

Aya's eyes softened. "She's human too, Suzume. You don't know what she has gone through, just like how she doesn't know what you have gone through."

Suzume stared at Aya defiantly. "Or what you have gone through."

"As if _that_ could compare." Aya rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right! Didn't you say it was total shit?" Suzume asked, as the two began walking to their next class.

"You know I didn't say that," Aya replied.

"Right, cause goody-two-shoes doesn't swear. Except hell."

"Hey! I try my best not to swear. It's only because of you that I say any kind of swear words."  
>"Yeah, I know." Suzume giggled. "I'm a bad influence."<p>

"No kidding. Oh yeah, you left your books back at the cafeteria."

"Yeah, I know. Who gives a damn. I'll get them later… Wait! How dare you change the subject!"

Honey watched with an amused stare as they disappeared around the corner. He didn't quite understand what had happened, but it seemed like good news to him that the two were friends again. _Plus that means Rika won't be as troubled!_

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

I don't know what happened, but after that lunch, Suzume didn't approach me again. I thought she'd come storming back and demand I continue to listen to her, but I didn't see a speck of her. It was nice.

I'd left her books on the cafeteria desk. No one would steal them anyway. She'd eventually find out where they were and get them anyway. Whatever. Hopefully, she won't go back to being a crazy bitch tomorrow.

"_Hey, Rika, have you seen this?" _Ryota had emailed me a link to an article. "_It's about some students at Ouran. One girl beat up the other girl. Do you know about this?"_

"_Unfortunately, that is me."_

"_So… you punched a girl? Or you got punched?"_

"_Of course I was the one doing the punching! I beat up the girl who destroyed my bow."_

"_Ahh…"_

"_Should I tell Akane?"_

"_No no no no! You better not!"_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Positive! Promise me you won't!"_

"_Okay. I promise."_

"_You better not give a thing away!"_

"_Okay, okay. I get it. I won't."_

"_Good."_

"_So you're alright?"_

"_Who do you think I am, Ryota? -_-"_

"_Hey, I'm just worried."_

"_Yeah. Thanks for worrying. :) I'm fine."_

"_Oh right, November's starting soon."_

"_Yeah! :D How's school?"_

"_Same. Boring."_

"_Do any middle schoolers give you guys weird looks when you walk on campus?"_

"_Nah, they're used to us by now. The first years always stare at us, though. The others_ _usually wave and say hi."_

"_Haha staying connected with middle schoolers."_

"_Hey! Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"_

"_No. Oh yeah, so I heard Yuuta's playing basketball?"_

"_Where'd you hear that? Akane tell you?"_

"_Maybe :)"_

"_You emailed Yuuta didn't you?"_

"_Tee hee! ^-^ Maybe."_

"_You totally did. Whatever. Yeah, he is. And it's stupid! He should just study! And don't you know how dangerous basketball is? They push and shove and people twist their ankles all the time! Or like knee injuries! Don't you know he could hurt himself?"_

"_Lol of course. He's already a second year in middle school Ryota. You can't keep treating him like a little kid."_

"_But he's my little brother!"_

"_You still see him as a little kid right?"_

"_How can I not? Nobody else but me takes care of him."_

"_Your mom's still not?"_

"_Of course not! That lazy hag only cooks us dinner a few times a week. She doesn't ask us anything. I doubt she even knows that Yuuta's playing basketball."_

"_Of course she does! I'm sure your mom cares more than she acts."_

"_Yeah as if you would know. She might have stopped smoking but she's still drinking a ton everyday."_

Crap. I think I messed up.

"_Sorry. :(," _I stared at my message, hovering my finger above the send button. Then I continued to type, "_I'm unsensit-"_

I stopped and quickly deleted it. "_I really wouldn't kno-" _I sighed, then I began tapping the delete button. Talking about this with Ryota had always made me a bit anxious. I never knew what to say. Was I being sympathetic? Or did it seem like I was pitying him? As I got to know him and his family better, it seemed like it was easier. But I guess it still hadn't changed. It'd always be hard.

So I ended up just sending a single-word message.

"_It's fine, Rika. :) I'm used to it."_

Damn it, Ryota. I really want to give you a hug right now. Why is it that, even though it's only been a few months, I really miss you?

* * *

><p>"<em>Rika, what is Ryota hiding from me?"<em>

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Whenever I'm around him, he gives me that nervous stare of his. He wiggles around in his seat. He dances on his feet. It's annoying. Tell me what he's hiding from me."_

Oh snap. Akane is sharp. Actually, more like, Ryota sucks at not telling people certain things. "_Why would I know?"_

"_Why would you not know? And if you don't, wouldn't you like to know?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Then can you find out for me?"_

"_No."_

"_Rikaaa! DX"_

"_Akane! DX Noooo. Ask him yourself."_

"_Fine. :( Meanie."_

"_Nooo. I'm not a meanie. ;_; Please. I just think you should find out yourself."_

"_Aw, your crying emoji! ^^ Don't cry, Rika."_

"_I'm not."_

"_By the way, there was this article I saw about some students from Ouran. I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, though."_

"_Oh that, lol you don't need to read it."_

"_What is it?"_

"_It's just about some students getting some boring awards thing."_

"_Oh. What awards?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_I'll still read it anyway."_

"_I think you'll find it boring though."_

"_But you know I like reading things."_

Crap. I'm really failing today.

"_Well I guess if you really want to read it."_

"_So Rika… This article is not about some awards."_

"_No? Maybe we're talking about different articles."_

"_No. It's about two girls and how one beat the other up. Do you know anything about this?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>RYOTAAAAA!"<em>

"_What is it?"_

"_Should I tell Akane?!"_

"_Figure that out yourself."_

"_NOO! Please help mee!"_

"_I don't know. It's not like Akane's going to beat you up if she found out."_

"_Actually, it'd be a lot more likely that she beat that other girl up to get some revenge for her bow. Although you already did that right?"_

"_Ryota! Not funny! That's exactly what I'm scared of!"_

"_Chill. She won't. If you politely ask her."_

"_Really now… Ughhhh!"_

"_You may as well tell her."_

"_Right cause someone's not good at keeping secrets. -_-"_

"_Wow! If you wanted Akane to not know, then you shouldn't have told me in the first place!"_

"_Well I thought you'd want to know."_

"_Sorry. My bad. I guess I'll tell her after all. Sigh _(*-Д-)=3ハァ･･"

"_Okay, good."_

* * *

><p>"<em>So Akane. Actually I do know about that article."<em>

"_Ah. You have some secrets you're sharing with Ryota? Are you going to tell me?"_

"_Yeah so… I'm the one who beat up the girl."_

And now I just wait for her response. Oh dear. Fun.

"_I see."_

Okay, now I wait just a bit more for her second response. Even more fun!

"_Why?"_

"_Cause I was mad at her."_

"_Why?"_

"_Cause she did something that I didn't like."_

"_What did she do?"_

"_Akane seriously please."_

"_What? Why won't you tell me?"_

"_Fine. I found out that she was the one that cut up my bow. So I got pissed. And beat her up. Not really beat her up. More like a punch and a kick."_

"_A hard punch and a hard kick?"_

"_Most definitely."_

"_Okay. Good then."_

"_That's it?"_

"_What?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Ryota, what's Akane doing right now?"<em>

"_She's staring with a frown at her phone. Did you tell her?"_

"_Yeah. She doesn't seem mad?"_

"_I don't know." _

"_Akane, you aren't mad right?"_

"_No. Why would I? And why didn't you tell me this before hand? Didn't you tell me that you lost it at a waterpark? I thought it fell in some machine that cut it up."_

"_No well… I mean it is your bow. I didn't tell you because I was scared you might get mad."_

"_Haven't I already told you that that bow really isn't that important?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Exactly, that's why I'm not mad."_

"_Oh thank goodness."_

"_You're alright right? She didn't punch you back?"_

"_Of course not. She didn't stand a chance."_

"_That's my Rika. ^-^"_

Thank goodness she wasn't mad.

* * *

><p>The next day at school, I waited at the entrance for Ashika. I wondered if she was going to chew me out. Instead, she came towards me without a hat. Her hair was in a pretty French braid, and there was a smile on her face.<p>

"What are you doing here, Hayashi-san?" she asked me politely. She wasn't exactly smiling at me per say, but she was certainly in a good mood.

"Aren't I still…" I hesitated on the wording. "Don't you want me to carry your books?"

Her smile faded. "Considering you ditched them at the cafeteria yesterday?"

Oh great. She _is_ mad at me.

"It's fine," she said, brushing past me. "I don't usually bring that many books to school anyway. You can stop talking to me now."

"Wait, what?" I followed after her. What in the world happened? Was I suddenly in an alternate universe where Ashika Suzume isn't an idiotic bitch?

She glanced back at me. "I said, you can stop talking to me. I don't need you anymore. Oh wait." She looked a bit higher above me. "Where'd you get that rose hairpin? Is it like some special Host Club product?"

"Huh?" I asked as my hand touched the hairclip Mitsukuni had given me. "Ashika-san, I'm really confused right now!"

She sighed. "Fine. Look, I don't need you anymore. I'll tell my parents to let you off the hook. Okay?"

"Really? But-But why?" My eyebrows furrowed together in suspicion, doubt, and — guess what — confusion.

"Do you want to carry my textbooks everywhere?" she scathed. "Aya talked me out of it, okay? She told me that I should go easy on you. Well, if I'm going to go easy on you, then what's the point of having you around anyway? Besides, it's not like Honey will ever look at me the way he looks at you!"

Wow. I think I _am_ in an alternate universe.

"Excuse me," I said, walking back towards the front doors. "I'm going to find the portal I fell into."

"Hang on!" She grabbed my arm and jerked me back. "I am not crazy! And neither are you! I've changed my mind, okay? Is it so hard to believe?"

I stared into her bright amber eyes. They seemed quite sincere, almost sad. "Okay. I believe you."

"Thank you," she said with a tired sigh. "Seriously, why was it that hard to persuade you? Geez. Anyway, where did you get that hairpin?"

"It's a hairclip and it was a gift," I replied.

"From who?" she asked curiously.

Wow! I can't believe it! I'm having a normal conversation with her! She was still staring at me. Oh right, answer her question. From Mitsukuni… my boyfriend. I smiled at the thought.

"What?" she said, frowning.

"My boyfriend," I said with a bright grin.

Her mouth dropped open. "You-You have a boyfriend? Oh my God, why didn't I know about this? Who is it?"

I smirked. "It's a secret. Please don't tell anyone else."

"Okay." She nodded.

"Wait, why'd you think it was a Host Club product?" I asked as the two of us headed towards our classes.

"Well it's a pink rose," she said.

"Uh…" I gave her a perplexed expression.

"Well, every host has its own colored rose, right?" When I nodded, she continued. "And Honey's rose is pink, so I thought you'd bought a Honey Rose Hairclip or some product like that."

Honey Rose Hairclip….

Holy frick! I have Mitsukuni's rose in my hair? Is that cool or strange?! I think it's cool. Yeah, definitely cool. Okay.

"You never thought of it that way?" she asked, looking just as surprised as I felt. "Huh. Maybe you should suggest the idea. I'd buy one."

"You can buy a rose hairclip, like, anywhere," I replied.

"It's a bit different." She shrugged. "Besides, your hairclip looks a bit… cheap."

"Gee thanks." The sarcastic comment slipped out without a thought.

She glanced at me and smirked. "Someone's sassier than they look. Bye." Then she disappeared into her classmate.

Okay, either I just revealed everything to the enemy, or I just made a possible friend. Or maybe I _am_ in an alternate dimension… I better find that portal fast!

* * *

><p>I didn't find the portal. But Ashika did keep her word. My mom was told that all was forgiven and forgotten by Ashika's parents.<p>

"I don't know what you did," Mom said. "But the Ashikas have decided to drop the entire matter."

My eyes lit up in hope. "Does that mean that you'll drop your own-"

Her sharp stare shut up me up quickly. "Well, have you learned your lesson?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yes."

"Really? What have you learned?"

"Don't beat someone up in public," I replied honestly.

"Why are those last two words there?" she asked.

Ahaha. So much for getting her to drop her little "grounding." I smiled charmingly. "Well, I got the Ashikas to forgive me, isn't that good enough?"

She frowned. "Fine, I'll drop my own rules if Minoru-kun reports a good date."

Are you kidding me?! Nooo! Why does it have to be dependent on that guy? I made my puppy-eye face. "Mom, please. Funaki-san had a nice time the last time. Why does it have to depend on this time?"

"Please don't make that face," she said, turning away.

"B-"

The office door suddenly banged open. Azumi stood there, looking rather distressed. "Sayoko-sama! Noboru-sama has returned! But he's seriously ill!"

"What?" Mom slammed her hands on her desk and was out the room in a flash. "Where is he right now?"

Dad's sick? Oh, just great. I followed them down the stairs to where my dad was walking slowly towards us. He was leaning against his personal butler for support.

"What's wrong?" Mom pressed her palm against Dad's forehead. "Goodness gracious. What are you doing here? Why didn't you go straight to the hospital?"

Dad dropped his head on Mom's shoulder. "You know how much…" His voice had turned raspy. "I hate… hospitals…"

Mom frowned. "Get him to the car now!" she yelled at the butler. "We're leaving for the hospital this instance." Azumi handed her her coat.

"Mom! I'm coming too!" I yanked my own coat out of the closest.

"No, Rika-sama." Azumi put her arm in front of me. Mom was already heading out the door.

"Yes, I am," I said fiercely, shoving her away.

"No you're not," Mom snapped without a glance back at me. "You're staying home." I ignored her as I followed her out the house and into the car.

"Get out of the car, Rika," she said. We glared at each other from our seats.

"No," I replied. "You should really get the car moving or else Dad's condition might worsen."

"Goodness gracious you're a handful!" Her eyes flashed in frustration.

"Mom please," I pleaded.

"Get the car moving!" she barked. "And fast!"

* * *

><p>"It's the flu. There shouldn't be much to worry about, Hayashi-san, seeing as your husband is a healthy man. However, we'd like to keep him overnight to monitor him and make sure complications don't occur."<p>

"Alright." Mom nodded, as relief seemed to relax her entire body. "Thank you."

The doctor nodded. "If you need anything, just call a nurse."

"So, there's nothing to worry about right?" I asked.

"Yes," Mom replied, leaning over Dad. "Noboru? You'll be staying overnight at the hospital, okay?"

Dad had fallen asleep on the car ride over, and it had taken the three Garlic Squad members who'd came with us to carry him inside the hospital. But, now, he began to stir. He could probably just _feel_ that he was in the hospital.

"No." He grabbed Mom's hand. "Not… the… hospital. Can't you - Sayoko - stay. Or no. I don't want to."

Wow, Dad's so childish when he's sick. Haha.

"The doctor wants you to stay, Noboru," Mom said quietly. "You have a very bad fever. It's dangerous. You might catch something else. So you have to stay here."

"No. Take me back." He was starting to become more lucid. He tried to push himself up and blinked quickly in an attempt to wake himself up. "You know I can't rest well here. Sayoko, take me back." He blinked a bit more before spotting me. "Oh, Rika is here too?"

_Achoo!_

Dad sneezed. Then he started coughing. Mom patted his back. "Take it easy, Noboru. Rest for now. I'll talk to the doctor about taking you home. Rika." She glanced at me. "Stay here with your dad, okay?"

I nodded as Dad lied back down.

"Rest," Mom ordered as she made her way out the room. Dad closed his eyes rather reluctantly. Once Mom was gone, he opened them and sat straight up. He smiled at me.

"Hi, Rika! Not the best way to greet you, huh?"

"You should rest Dad," I said, coming closer to him.

"Ah, you should stay away Rika," Dad said. "Don't want you to get sick. Oh yeah, I heard from your Mom that you beat another girl up." He chuckled. "It was a punch and kick too. That's my girl. Don't just settle for simple slaps. You got to knock them out!" He swung his fist in the air.

"Dad, you're obviously tired," I said with a smile. "So you should sleep. I'll be here."

"No no no." He shook his head stubbornly. "If I fall asleep, I'll wake up in this damn hospital."

"Mom will take you back home," I replied.

"No no. Sayoko believes in the power of hospitals and medicine. You see, Rika, you can't trust these hospitals because all they do is want money." Dad had his eyes closed but still sat straight, swaying slightly in fatigue. He coughed some more.

"Dad," I said.

"What? You want me to change the topic? Fine. How have you been? Tell me something. Wait, don't tell me something. Cause then I'll fall asleep. How about I tell you something? I was already on the plane to come back home, but, ah." _Cough. Cough. Cough. _"I don't know. I think it may be because other countries have other flues going around. Before I came back, I was going through these poorer neighborhoods. I donated, um, it's-it's 5 million yen, I believe-" _Cough, cough._ "-to some charities and organizations and stuff. Do you know what I donated to? There was like 2 million to this one charity for kids and stuff. And-"

"Noboru, what do you think you are doing?" Mom stomped in with the doctor in tow. "I've spoken to the doctor. You'll be discharged."

A nurse pushed a wheelchair over, and Dad frowned at the sight. "No. Sayoko I am not going on a wheelchair-" His protests were ignored as he was dragged onto the wheelchair.

Mom crouched in front of him. "Go to sleep, Noboru. You'll wake up in bed at home. Okay? I promise."

Dad yawned. "No. I-"

"Shut it," Mom said impatiently. "Let's go Rika."

* * *

><p><strong>Any thoughts? Opinions? What'd you think of Ashika's ending? Honey was being a troll with her and that recording. XD Suggestions and ideas are greatly welcomed! Questions too!<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	51. A surprising Saturday date!

**Hi! It feels like it's been a long time. But we're finally in October! Yay! :) Thank you for the over 500 reviews! YOU GUYS ARE SO FREAKING AWESOMEEEEEEE! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) I definitely did not expect my story to become like this lol.**

**AnimeBestie: **Well, it's October now. And you don't seem much younger than me. Do you finally have a new laptop? :D That really sucks. You're going to have a lot of anime to catch up on, huh? ^-^ Maybe I'll watch Uta no Prince-sama then. Fruits Basket is like a classic now, lol. Like Dragon Ball is to shonen manga. XD Lol any other news? Are you reading/watching anything else? Thank you for your reviews! :D

**J053D4N13L35C083D0: **Lol, thank you for reading and reviewing! :)

**AwakenedSecrets: **Here's a spoiler: the gang appears in the next chapter! ^-^ Lol thank you thank you so much! Such flattery. XD Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Hime1234:** Thank you lots for the review! :D And no, Honey didn't believe the recording.

**candymoon2315:** Computers are awesome. You'd be lucky to marry one. XD Lol thanks for the review!

**AquilonIII: **Oh thank you very much! What kind of things do you write? :)

**Oeve:** "Go ham on Minoru." Not sure if that's what you meant but lol that was funny. ^-^ Good idea. I'll see if it can be fit in. Thank you for reviewing!

**DaPandaGirl: **Lol great feedback. :D Thank you for your review!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Shipping problems! They're everywhere! XD Thank you so much for your reviews!

**Strawberry Neko: **Nice pairing suggestion! I'll think about it since I personally don't like stories where multiple OCs get paired up with multiple Hosts. It just seems to overboard to me. :P Thank you for your lovely review! :)

**Chicken Year: **You are so right. I'm not purposely trying to drag the story out (I'd really rather it end asap). It's just I keep adding extra things for character development. XO Ahhh. Thanks for the notice! And thank you for reading and reviewing! :D And hi!

**Anatolie: **Hi! Yes, you're right. The Host Club has been missing a ton in these past chapters. T_T Oh poor Tamaki. He's not getting as much attention as he'd like. Thanks for pointing it out! I've been completely absorbed with Mitsukuni. And thank you for reading and reviewing! :)

**Guest: **Hello! Thank you so much! :D Yes, I have heard of Attack on Titan (watched a few episodes), and also that Nozaki-kun thing (haven't watched it yet, but planning on it). Lol, otaku friends are the best right? ^-^

**Guest: **Hi other guest! Lol, Hikaru and Kaoru are amazing. :D I do want TamaHaru in this story but the Host Club doesn't appear as much as I'd like it to. Any suggestions on how to pull off good TamaHaru? And thank you so much for your sweet words and review!

**Guest: **3rd guest! It's a shame you can't make an account. :( Thank you so much for your lovely review! ^-^ Gosh, I can't take so many compliments at once! XD Thank you! Is Lady Creep a pen name? Lol, you should hide manga books in textbooks or dictionaries! And then, when you're reading manga, you can say, "Oh, just reading the dictionary. Don't mind me." :D Anyway, if not, online works very well! Thank you for reviewing!

**And now. The chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>"Do you prefer dolphins or lions?" Minoru asked me during Chess Club the next day.<p>

"They're both cool," I replied, scribbling an answer down to a math problem. "Why are you asking this?"

"Don't you like one over the other?" he said. He sat down opposite me.

"Not really," I said.

"Furaru!" The door was slammed open and Umari Etsuko waltzed in gleefully. "Hello! Will you teach me some more chess today?"

"No," Minoru said curtly. He turned back to me. "Then which do you like more: fish or rabbits?"

"What kind of fish?" I asked, as Umari dropped a chess board on top of desk. "Hey! Watch it, Umari!"

"Move your stupid homework." She shoved at my arm and papers.

"Why don't you two move somewhere else?" I asked. "I'm trying to get my homework done here."

Minoru sighed and leaned closer towards me. "Just ignore her. All kinds of fish. Any fish."

"Will you tell me why you're asking this?" I asked, finally looking up at him.

"Fine. Do you want to go to an aquarium or a zoo?"

Umari slammed her hand on the desk with a grin. "The aquarium! Duh! Take me with you, Furaru! I love the aquarium! And animals in general!"

I smirked. "Yeah, Furaru, maybe you should just take Umari-san. She'll go with you anywhere."

He glared at me. "Pick one, Rika-san."

"Zoo then," I said with a shrug. "But if you prefer to go somewhere else, then that's fine too."

He sighed, leaning back. "Fine. And I'm not teaching you Umari."

"Why not?" She pouted. "You taught me last week!"

"No. You can learn from someone else." Then he glanced at me and smiled. "Why don't you learn from Rika-san?"

"Why would I want to learn from some second-rate girl like her?" Umari said. "I only learn from the best. Which is you, Furaru."

"If I'm second-rate, you must be third-rate," I mumbled. "Seeing as you can't even beat me."

She glared at me. "Once my great Furaru teaches me some more, I'll be beating you in a flash."

I smiled. "You wish. Umaru."

"_What?_ It's Umari, you dumbo!" she said.

"Umaru and Furaru, doesn't it sound cute?" I asked.

She paused, considering it, and then smiled. "It does! Okay, you can call me Umaru! Actually, don't. It sounds a bit strange."

"Umaru and Furaru, sitting in a tree," I sang.

Minoru stood up abruptly. "Forget Saturday," he said with a deep scowl. "I'm not wasting time or money on you."

"You can on me!" Umari squealed, following him towards the farthest corner of the room.

Huh. I pissed him off. Sweet! Maybe I'll get Saturday all to myself!

* * *

><p>"I don't know what you did, Rika, but Minoru-kun's father called me just now and told me that his son would like to cancel the date this Saturday," Mom said with a frown. "Perhaps we'll keep this grounding on. You still have about two weeks."<p>

"Mom," I said. "It was Funaki's decision. I didn't say anything."

"Well you must have said _something_ to make Minoru-kun want to cancel the date," Mom replied.

"How do you know that Funaki didn't just have something that came up on Saturday?" I asked.

She sighed, leaning her forehead against her palm. "Oh I can't deal with this right now, Rika. Just-Just stay out of trouble please. I'll be leaving for Sapporo tomorrow. So just…"

"I understand Mom," I said with an enthusiastic nod. "Really. I'll stay out of trouble and be a good kid."

She stared at me and then nodded. "Good, good. Just, good." She made a shooing gesture. "Go on and do some homework or something."

"Thanks Mom!" I smiled as I skipped out the room.

* * *

><p>"Morning Dad." I found my dad sitting at our kitchen bar with a cup of coffee and rice porridge in front of him Thursday morning.<p>

"Morning Rika!" He grinned cheerfully. His fever had gone down completely, and it seemed like he was all better now.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked.

"Of course! Well, now that your mother is gone." He sighed. "Sapporo. Maybe I should get a business trip there too. Hm. What's in Sapporo?" He glanced at me as if I had the answer, so I shrugged.

"Actually, before I came home, I was planning on going to visit your grandma. Her health has been terrible these days. I'll have to visit her soon, then after that, maybe I could go to the Hokkaido Prefecture too." Dad had a habit of talking out loud. "But Nagoya is south, while Hokkaido is north. How troublesome…"

"Morning Rika!" Kimiko danced into the kitchen. "Morning Dad! Feeling better?"

"Yup!" He glanced at her. "Where do you think I should go on a business trip, Kimiko?"

"Anywhere in the world?" she asked, eyes widening at the possibilities.

He shrugged. "Well, I suppose."

"Then you should totally go to Switzerland! And bring back their delicious chocolate!" Kimiko replied excitedly as she sat down next to me. "And go skiing there! Oh, but if you do go to Switzerland, you should take me."

Dad chuckled. "Switzerland, huh?"

"But you've been there," I said. "Three times."

"I know, but it's such a nice place!" Kimiko squealed.

"What about you Rika?" Dad asked.

Hm…

"America," I replied.

"But you've been there before too!" Kimiko said.

"It was only once at New York City." I frowned.

"Why?" he asked.

I shrugged. It was mainly because of Akane. I wanted to see what kind of environment she'd grown up in. What her world had been like before she'd moved. I poked my eggs. "It's a superpower country. There's a ton of business opportunities there."

"Thinking like a boss," Dad said with a proud nod.

"Don't you want to go anywhere fun?" Kimiko asked.

"America's fun," I replied. "Right Dad?"

"Sure! If going to meetings all day is considered fun, sure!" He grinned at his own sarcasm. "We should all go then, Rika, as a birthday present for turning eighteen. How about we go during Christmas? Won't that be fun? Christmas is quite a big holiday in America."

"Would I go too?" Kimiko asked.

"Of course! A family trip!"

"Aw, no Dad," she replied, shaking her head. "I want to spend Christmas with Masahiko-kun."

"Me too," I whispered.

"What?" Kimiko jumped in fright. "You want to spend Christmas with my boyfriend?"

"Not with _your_ boyfriend!" I replied, blushing. "B-But with mine!"

She sighed. "Oh thank goodness."

"Why would I want to hang out with your boyfriend, Onee-san! Come on!" I said, quickly stuffing my mouth with the rest of my breakfast. "I'm done!"

"What? So we're not going to America during Christmas?" Dad sounded disappointed. "But I was looking forward to it!"

I shook my head and began walking out of the kitchen as Kimiko spoke, "We were only discussing it Dad."

Christmas… It was coming up in two months. It seemed like a long time.

* * *

><p>I'd thought I had Saturday to myself, to read and relax and play on the computer. But at about 1 PM, the doorbell rang, and Azumi came knocking at my bedroom door.<p>

"Rika-sama, Haninozuka-san is at the door. He's looking for you." She sounded quite disappointed, as if she didn't want to be delivering this news to me.

"Wh-What?!" I bolted out of my room and leapt down the staircase. Mitsukuni was waiting patiently in the doorway dressed in a plain black hoodie and jeans. Gosh, why does he look so adorable in a hoodie?

"Mitsukuni!" I grinned as I skidded to a stop in front of him. "What's up?"

"Hey Rika! Let's go on a date!"

…

I blinked a few times but Mitsukuni remained standing in front of me with a bright beam. "Uh…" Wait a minute. I looked down and saw myself wearing my pajamas. Oh wow. Haha. Well, Mitsukuni has seen me in my pajamas before. "Where are we going?" I finally asked.

"It's a secret," he replied with a devious smile.

"Okay! Let me go change," I said, as I began running back up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Azumi asked when I passed her on the second floor landing.

"A date!" I practically squealed.

"Oh Rika! Where some practical clothes!" Mitsukuni yelled from below. "Like jeans! Or sweatpants! Just pants!"

I giggled. "Okay!" Then I turned to Azumi. "Did you hear that? Isn't Onee-san at her job right now? Can I raid her closet?"

Azumi sighed. "Go ahead, Rika-sama."

"Yay!" Going on a date with Mitsukuni was way better than doing virtually anything else! Actually, I'm not sure if I can think of something better. Maybe watching anime since I haven't watched in a long time… Haha, as if that could compare! A date is most definitely better!

I grabbed an old t-shirt, some comfortable black jeans, and a sweater jacket from Kimiko's closet. Although she had a ton more clothes than I did, she actually didn't wear that many of them. So I just took the clothes that I figured she wouldn't mind if they went missing.

"So where are we going?" I asked Mitsukuni once the car began driving.

"I told you it was secret," he replied. "But I hope you didn't eat too much for lunch."

Hm. Now what could that mean? "We aren't going to another amusement park, are we?" I said.

He shook his head, practically brimming in excitement. "Nope! I'm not going to tell you Rika! Oh but it'll be a long ride."

"Okay." I settled down. "So, I think I'm not grounded anymore. Mom's at a business trip, and so long as I stay out of trouble, it'll be fine."

"Great!" Mitsukuni grinned.

"Any news on your side?" I asked.

"Mmm." He wracked his brain, then shook his head. "No, not really."

I told him about what happened with Ashika Suzume, and her idea of the rose hairclip. "Did you know that this is your rose in my hair?" I asked, pointing to said hairclip.

His eyes widened at the revelation. "No! But that's cool!"

"I know right?" I replied.

We talked a bit more about school, about the people we knew. I prodded for some more hints on where we were going, and found that what we were going to do was something that my parents may not have approved of.

It took about forty minutes to arrive at the site. We had driven into a forest on some smoothly paved roads and pulled up into a small parking lot with a single-floor building.

"Where are we? A nature site?" I asked, as the two of us exited the car.

"Nope!" Mitsukuni grinned. "It's been a long time since I was last here! This is going to be fun!"

He pulled me into the building, which, by the way, was quite fancy. The doors were automatic and inside was clean and exquisite. And empty. There was only one guy standing at the desk. After Mitsukuni spoke to him briefly, we were soon shown to a larger room.

All along the walls of the room were guns - paintball guns.

"Oh my…" My mouth dropped open, and then I started to fangirl. "Gahh! Kyaaa! Paintball! Paintball!" I squeezed Mitsukuni in a tight hug then resumed my fangirling. "I love paintball! Gahh! I've never played it before! Thank you so much for bringing me here!" Then I hugged him again.

The lady stared at me as if I'd gone crazy, or if I'd lost a head. Well, I guess I kind of did. I smiled sheepishly and blushed. "Uh, please continue."

She smiled back. "As I was saying, these protective suits all contain special censors. When you have been hit at a vital point, either right at the chest, the helmet, or right at the back, your gun's trigger will freeze up, and you will have 'died.' If you take enough shots on the arms, legs, or other non-vital parts, the gun may also freeze and you will have 'died.' Is that clear?"

"How does a gun freeze?" I asked.

"When a gun freezes, it means the trigger locks up so you can't shoot anymore," she replied. "We have surveillance cameras throughout the arena and GPS in each gun and suit, in case something happens. Anymore questions?"  
>I shook my head and started bouncing on my feet. I was so ready to start playing and shooting people!<p>

"Now do you two want to be on one team or face against each other?" she asked.

"Same team!" the two of us said at the same time. We glanced at each other and smiled.

"Alright." She wrote something down on her clipboard. "Why don't you two get suited up while I find you some opponents." Two other workers came to us, carrying the protective gear. As we put them on, she pressed something on her earpiece. "How many teams are available at the moment? Yes. Okay. I have two who want to be one team. Yes. Hang on." She turned to us. "Would you like to be a two-person team or join others to form a larger team?"

We glanced at each other again.

"What do you want?" we said in unison.

"Rika," Mitsukuni said quickly in an effort to break our synchronized speaking. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't care," I replied with a shrug. "Whatever you want to do."

"I don't care either!" he said.

We turned to her. "We don't care!"

"Wow," I said as the lady began talking to whoever was on the earpiece. "We're starting to sound like the twins." I giggled and then stopped. "It's kind of creepy actually."

"I agree." Mitsukuni nodded.

"Alright." She turned back towards us. "There's a party of four that wants to play a small game. They're also returning members. Are you alright with that? Or would you like to play someone else?"

"I'm fine with it!" I said as we were handed our guns.

"Me too," Mitsukuni said.

"Good."

We were taught how to load, aim, and fire. Our bullets were yellow, and the other team's bullets would be blue. Each hit is recorded by the sensors on the protective gear.

"How expensive is this stuff?" I asked, as the two of us began walking out into the so-called "arena."

Mitsukuni shrugged. "This is the best paintball place in Japan! So it's not exactly cheap."

"So do only rich people come here?" I asked. We crouched down behind some brush. It was all natural landscape here. There were trees, bushes, and dirt paths everywhere. The other team was coming from the opposite side, and the goal was just to wipe out the opponents before they got to you.

"I guess," he replied. "I've only come here once, with my family."

As we waited for the countdown to begin our game, I asked one final question, "You're good at this right?"

"Not really!" He grinned.

"What? But I thought you were like boss at this!"

He giggled. "Boss? No, but I've had training with guns before."

"Well, you're Mitsukuni so-"

_Beep!_

I immediately pulled the gun up and began scanning the area before us. I'd never learned how to use a real gun before, and there were probably differences between a real one and a paintball one.

"You know," I said absentmindedly. "This would be a lot of fun if we came with the Host Club."

I tried to imagine it. Tamaki would probably get bullied by the twins. Kyoya would stay out of the whole mess. Haruhi would too, and no one except the twins would dare to shoot her. And if she did get hit, it'd likely be on accident. Mitsukuni would… Guess we'll have to see about that. But Takashi would definitely protect Mitsukuni, no matter what. He'd take every shot.

I giggled. "It'd be fun alright."

"They're coming Rika!" Mitsukuni whispered.

"Where?" I whispered back, eyes darting back and forth. "How can you tell?"

He smiled and tapped his ear. "Listen."

I strained to hear the footsteps. Then I heard them. Quick and soft footsteps on the dirt path, slightly to the right of us. They were coming. I pointed the gun from the direction of the sound. Then someone burst into view. I pulled the trigger without a second of hesitation.

_Tat-tat-tat!_

Three yellow splotches of paint appeared all over the boy's chest. He glanced down in surprise, then yelled, "Aw shit! I'm out already?!"

"Where are they?" Someone out of our view asked loudly.

"Move!" Mitsukuni whispered, nudging me towards the left. "Quietly!"

"Yes sir!" I smirked and began crawling as quickly and silently as I could.

"Somewhere over there, Kazuki!" the boy said.

"Did you hear that Isamu?" that Kazuki one yelled.

"Seriously? You're already out Takumi?" another voice said.

"I know right? Who the hell are we fighting?" Takumi replied.

"Two people," a fourth voice said in a much quieter and calmer tone.

"No duh," Takumi spat.

"Where'd they go?"

While they had been bickering, Mitsukuni and I had successfully crawled in a quarter of a circle around them. Thanks to all the noise they were making it really hadn't been that difficult.

Are they stupid? Or just messing around? They look like high schoolers, maybe even our age. Can't wait to beat them, hehe.

"Sir," I whispered in a serious manner. "Do I have permission to take this guy out?" I pointed at some dude that was standing next to that Takumi. He was probably that Kazuki guy. We were hidden in the shade of several trees and bushes.

"Yes private," Mitsukuni replied, mimicking my grave tone. "On my count of three! Cause I'll be taking this guy out." He trained his gun on the third dude, who was now roaming boldly through the bushes we'd been hiding behind in the beginning.

"One," he said. "Two… Three."

_Tat-tat-tat!_

Two bullets got his arm, and one missed. Mitsukuni, on the other hand, was successful, getting that guy nicely once on the helmet and another on the chest.

"Dang, you're good," I said.

He grinned. "Let's get moving!"

"Over there!" The guy I'd been shooting at, and who, unfortunately, wasn't out yet, pointed in our direction.

"Get them!" The second guy yelled. The two remaining boys started sprinting in our direction.

"Oh shit," I whisper-screamed. "Mitsukuni!"

Our eyes met and he nodded. We both sprang to our feet at the same time. "Runnn!" we both yelled, dashing away.

"Zig-zag!" I shouted as bullets rained down after us. "Run zig-zag!"

"Randomly! Randomly!" Mitsukuni jerked to the right all the sudden at an opening, and I heard one turn after him.

"Nooo!" I was starting to get out of breath. Crap. I felt a bullet strike my lower back. Ohhhhh! Nooooo!

At the nearest opening to my right, I turned, continuing to zig back and forth along the path. Another bullet grazed my left arm.

Screw running away!

I grabbed my gun and turned to shoot at my pursuer. I had to slow to a jog in order to continue moving backwards.

_Tat-tat!_

One missed, and another hit his shoulder. It was the boy that I'd shot and missed at before. And, he looked strangely familiar.

"Do I know you?!" I screamed.

"What?!" he screamed back. Then he fired, and it hit straight at my chest.

"Ow!" Startled by the sudden force, I stumbled and fell on my butt. "Ow! Oh damn! That hurt! That really really hurt! Damn it!"

"Rika!" Mitsukuni burst through the forestry right beside me. He looked alright. There wasn't a speck of blue paint on him. "Are you okay?"

"Rika?" that boy muttered.

"I'm fine," I said, taking his offered hand and getting on my feet. "Just fell. Did you get hit? Cause I'm out."

Mitsukuni grinned. "No-"

I grabbed his gun, turned him around, and pulled the trigger.

_Tat-tat!_

"Hey!" the boy yelled. "That's against the rules! You're dead!"

I smiled, wrapping my arms around Mitsukuni's neck. "You're dead now. We win! Yay! We win!" I squeezed him in a hug.

"What? Kazuki, you lost?!" The previous boy stomped over towards us.

"Seriously man?" The other two boys came towards us.

Kazuki… The name… Wait a minute…

"Can we do some introductions?" I asked.

The four boys glanced at me.

"Oh great!" The boy I'd shot first scowled. "We lost to two kids! Seriously, Kazuki? You can't even shoot a kid?"

"Hey you were the one who got shot first," the fourth kid muttered.

"Introductions please?" I said. "Cause you guys all look the same to me." We were all wearing green camouflage outfits, along with black vests, gloves, and boots. Thanks to the dark green helmets and goggles, it was pretty hard to distinguish who was who.

"Sure," the first boy said. "Let's go somewhere brighter."

We all went to the nearest clearing where we then stood facing each other. "I'll go first," the first boy said. "I'm Okamoto Isamu."

"And you were the one that was chasing Mitsukuni, right?" I asked for clarification.

"If Mitsukuni is that guy," Okamoto pointed at Mitsukuni. "Then yes." I nodded. He pointed over at another boy beside him. "That annoying loudmouth-"

"Hey!" This was the boy I'd first shot.

"-Is Kubo Takumi, and that quiet guy over there is Miura Hotaka," Okamoto said. "And this guy here is Ashida Kazuki. Now it's your turn."

Holy shit. Of all the luck in the world. What is Kazuki doing here? Why isn't he back at Akawari? Isn't this a place for richies only? He's not a richie.

"I'm Haninozuka Mitsukuni," he said with his characteristic flowery grin. "You can just call me Honey though!"

"Dude, what grade are you in?" Kubo asked.

"I'm a highschool third year," Mitsukuni replied.

"You're kidding me," he muttered.

"Actually, we're not," I said.

"And this is Hayashi Rika!" Mitsukuni continued as if Kubo hadn't said a thing. "She's a third year too!"

"I don't believe it," Kubo said with a shake of his head.

"Rika…" Kazuki was still mumbling under his breath.

"What?" Mitsukuni asked.

He looked up, startled, then hastily shook his head. "Ah, nothing! I-I just used to know someone by that name too."  
>"What the hell," Kubo said.<p>

"Where are you guys from?" I asked.

"Just a bit south of here," Okamoto replied. "We all go to Nakano Private High. Ever heard of it?"

Nakano Private High. I searched my brain for that school. "Oh! Isn't it a place for spoiled middle-class kids and poor upper-class kids? Just twenty minutes from-" I cut myself off.

"What? You calling us spoiled middle-class kid?" Kubo asked, leaning over me with a supposedly threatening atmosphere.

"Please keep in mind," I said, holding up my paintball gun. "That I was the one who shot you." I smirked.

The quiet Miura chuckled.

"Hey, what are you laughing about Hotaka?" Kubo went to Miura's side and the two began bickering again. It seemed playful, since Miura just kept grinning.

"Let's play another game," Okamoto said.

"Hey wait," Kazumi held up a hand. "Where do you two go?"

"Ouran," Mitsukuni replied proudly.

"In Tokyo," I added, trying not to sound smug.

"Rich brat!" Kubo called.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Spoiled brat."

"What makes me spoiled when you're rich enough to go to Ouran?" he asked.

"If you wanted to play a video game, would your parents let you?" I said in response. He nodded. "See? You're spoiled, because my parents wouldn't let me."

"That's stupid," he muttered.

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Let's just place another game," Okamoto said with a sigh. "Quit trying to pick a fight." I glanced at Mitsukuni who just smiled at me.

"Reset!" Okamoto yelled up into the sky.

"Is that supposed to do something?" I asked Mitsukuni.

He nodded. "Just watch."

I did watch. I watched the paint melt away on our vests.

"Holy smokes!" I said. "Did it just-" I looked at Mitsukuni who nodded. "It really did? Wow! That's so freaking cool!"

"A newbie huh," Kubo said sounding disappointed. "How the hell did we lose to a newbie kid?"

"We'll take the defensive this time," Okamoto said. "Countdown's starting. Let's go." They all ran off back the way they'd come.

"Hey Mitsukuni, can we climb the trees here?"

* * *

><p>The two of us climbed up on a stable-looking tree. "Wait, but Mitsukuni, they said that they'd be going on the defensive," I said, settling down on a branch. "So shouldn't we go on the offensive?"<p>

"But it might be a trap," he replied.

"True," I said. "But going on the offensive would be pretty fun. Oh, I know! How about we split up?" I grinned at him.

"Eh?" Yeah, he didn't like the idea, seeing as his eyebrows furrowed in concern and a light frown appeared.

"Okay, never mind then." I turned back towards the direction they'd be coming from. We waited. When five minutes had passed, I glanced at Mitsukuni. "Maybe we should go attack them."

"Mm," he said, nodding, although he looked rather dazed.

"You okay?" I asked. I leaned forward to get a better look of his face. He blinked and the fogginess disappeared.

"Yeah!" He nodded. We stared at each other for a moment. Then he said, "Actually, can you kiss me right now?"

"Sure," I said with a shrug. I moved closer towards him and he seemed to tense in anticipation. I smirked. "Why are you asking, Mitsukuni?" I settled back to my previous position, swinging my legs back and forth. "If you want a kiss, you should just kiss me."

He was silent, then I felt his hand on mine. He kissed my cheek, and I turned my face towards him. He kissed me passionately, in a way that he'd never done before. He was kissing me as if this would be our very last time, and I let him until I was out of breath and so red in the face that I felt like I could fry an egg with my cheeks.

"Mitsukuni," I said, one hand grabbing his shirt. "A-Are you okay?"

He was blushing but he nodded. "Yeah."

I smiled. "Okay." I kissed him back.

_Tat!_ I jumped and would have fallen off the tree branch if it weren't for Mitsukuni grabbing my arm.

"Guess they got tired of waiting," I said with an excited grin. I picked up my gun and began scanning for them.

"Rika."

"Wh-"

_Tat-tat-tat!_

I flinched as something struck my foot. Looking down, I found Kazuki standing underneath the tree pointing his gun.

"Hi," he called with a calm face.

"Oh, you are so going down." I smirked. I began shooting at him. He was probably at the disadvantage. What if his bullet came down and hit himself?

"Rika, wait!"

A bullet zipped past my head. Maybe I should get closer and lower. I hopped down a branch, continuing to fire.

"Be careful!"

"I know," I said.

"Hey! They're up here!" Kazuki shouted.

Oh come on. I rolled my eyes as I shot him right at the helmet. I grinned. "Got you Kazuki-kun!"

He glanced at me, eyes wide and alarmed for a completely different reason. "Why are you speaking so casually to me?"

Oops. I didn't have to fake my surprised expression. "Aren't you younger than me?" I asked innocently.

"No! I'm a third year too," he said, sounding insulted.

Good. He doesn't know who I am. It'd probably be better if he didn't know. A bullet suddenly hit me in the lower leg, and I staggered from the sudden strike. My balance slipped, and I found myself falling.

Shit!

"Rika!"

I grabbed the nearest branch and managed to keep myself from falling any further.

"Did I get her?" It sounded like that annoying Kubo guy.

"Yeah," Kazuki replied. "In the leg."

I dangled from the branch silently. There was quite a distance between the ground and me. Dropping from here probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"Hang on, Rika! I'm coming down!" I glanced up and found Mitsukuni scrambling towards me.

"Calm down," I said. "I can probably get up myself." I swung my body back and forth in an effort to get myself up onto the branch. But it didn't work. If anything, it felt like my grip had weakened. I just wasn't as fit as I used to be. "Nevermind."

_Tat-tat!_ I swung dangerously backwards and managed to dodge one bullet. The next one hit me on my side.

"Okay, these paint bullets officially hurt," I said to no one in particular. Mitsukuni arrived and quickly held out his hand.

"I'll pull you up," he told me reassuringly.

_Tat!_

The next bullet hit my hand and the sudden pain caused my hands to let go. "Mitsukuni!" I screamed, trying to grab onto Mitsukuni's outstretched hand. It was already too late and I was falling.

Crap! Quick! How do you land safely? Roll. Roll! I watched as the blurred ground rushed up towards me, and as someone else came running into my view, arms outstretched.  
>I didn't roll. Instead, I fell ontop of someone.<p>

"Rika! Rika!" Mitsukuni yelled.

It took a good while before air returned to my lungs. The moment the world stopped spinning, I rolled off whomever I'd fallen on.

"I am really sorry. Are you okay?" I asked Kazuki.

He sat up, looking dazed. Then he nodded. "Yeah."

"But I just fell ontop of you," I said. "From like…" I looked up, trying to locate exactly where I'd fallen from.

He smiled. "I'm pretty tough."  
>"Are you sure you don't want to go to a hospital?"<p>

"Yeah." He slowly got up and began moving his arms and legs around. "Nothing hurts, so I think I'm fine."

"Rika, are you okay?" Mitsukuni came running up to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied with a smile as I got onto my feet. "You should be asking Ka- Ashida-san instead." I stared at my blue paint-covered hand. My hand hurt more than the rest of me, which must be a good thing.

He looked relieved. "Good." Then he stepped forward and kissed me on the forehead.

Okay… I don't get it, but today Mitsukuni is quite… What's the right word? Oh who cares. I love it.

I kissed him on the lips.

"Woah," Kazuki said. "You guys never mentioned that you two were dating."

I turned to him and grinned. "Yup! Mitsukuni's my boyfriend!" Gosh, that sounds so good!

"Yup!" Mitsukuni said, looking quite happy.

"Can you at least keep the lovey stuff to yourselves?" he asked.

I giggled. "Yeah."

_Tat-tat!_

One bullet hit my helmet, another nearly got Mitsukuni. "Well I'm out. Mitsukuni, go get them!" I said.

He nodded. "Yes sir!" Then he ran off towards the direction of our enemies.

"Wait, I got promoted?" I called after him teasingly.

"Yeah!" he replied with a wave.

"Hey." Kazuki stepped up next to me. "Have you ever heard of Akawari Middle School?"

"Yeah," I said truthfully. "I have."

"Do you know Barton Akane?"

I glanced at him. He was staring straight ahead at the forestry all around us. I sighed, resigned. "Yes, I do."

"You do?" He turned to me in surprise. "Then, are you really?"

I nodded. "Yup! It's been a while Kazuki-kun."

His mouth dropped open and he pointed at me in shock. "Y-You… wait really? Akamatsu Rika? It's you? But, no, you said you were Hayashi, lik-"

"I'm really Hayashi Rika," I said. "I was just under a fake last name for a few years during middle school to avoid the family scandals."

"So then." He stared at me some more. "Seriously? Wow. I thought it was possible, cause you look exactly like… Well, you looked really familiar, so. Oh wow."

I chuckled, suddenly nervous now that my identity had been revealed. "Yeah. Sorry for not telling you sooner."

"But Haninozuka-san is your boyfriend right?" he asked.

"Yeah." I nodded, smiling warmly at the thought. "Hell yeah he is."

"Huh. Wow."

"So, what manga have you read while I was gone?" I grinned, and he smiled back.

* * *

><p>"This is an announcement for Teams A and B playing in Field 2. Please return to the main building."<p>

"Is that us?" I asked.

"Rika! I lost!" Mitsukuni came bursting back through the bushes.

"Really?" I laughed as I went to his side. "Okay then. Who shot you?"

"I did," Okamoto said, raising his hand.

"I got Kubo though!" Mitsukuni told me in a rather proud tone.

"Good job!" I held up my hand and we high-fived.

Kubo and Miura joined us as we all began to walk towards the main building. "Oh come on, why am I the target?" Kubo asked.

"Cause you're obviously the most fun to shoot," Miura teased.

"Hotoka!" Kubo growled. He grabbed Miura in a headlock. "I'll shoot you next time if you keep this up."

Miura just giggled. Okay, they officially have an interesting relationship. Mitsukuni took my hand gently as we walked.

I smiled and leaned over to whisper into his ear, "I like it when you're bold."

He blushed.

"Hey! No flirting!" Kubo yelled. I rolled my eyes. "No dirty talking!"

I snorted. "What dirty talking?"

Kazuki watched us with a careful gaze. I guess he was still surprised. The last time I'd spoken to him was a goodbye. Considering what he'd done, I actually wasn't mad at him. At least, not anymore.

When we arrived at the main office, we were informed that there was another party of six that wanted to play a group of the same size.

"So would you like to form one group?" that lady asked.

Okamoto glanced at Mitsukuni and I. "We're fine with it," he said. "If you two are."

"Yeah sure," I said. Mitsukuni nodded.

"Great." The lady smiled. "Go ahead back into the field. Your new opponents will be waiting."

"Let's destroy them!" I yelled enthusiastically.

"Yeah yeah." Kubo rolled his eyes as we headed back out.

"You're so rude to strangers," I said.

"No, just rude to you," he replied curtly.

"That's rude."

"No really," he said with as much sarcasm as humanly possible. That's when I decided not to bicker with this guy anymore. It was just too troublesome.

We went out and began the game. And we sort of destroyed the other team. They were good, but in the end, we won. We played a few more games with the other team, trying out the capture-the-flag version. It was, albeit painful, very fun.

We returned home after grabbing some dinner at about eight.

"You were gone all day!" Azumi started nagging me the moment I was back. "And you didn't think to call even once to tell me that you'd be back this late?"

"You're not my mom, Azumi!" I snapped, before shutting the bedroom door in her face. How annoying!

So it seemed like things were going well. There weren't any troubles between Mitsukuni and I. Ashika Suzume wasn't a jerk to me anymore, in fact, she was quite civil and almost nice. The Host Club was prospering just as well as it always had been. For Mom's sake, however, I stayed at the Chess Club for as long as possible, even though Minoru refused to talk to me. Umari challenged me in chess games practically everyday, and every time it seemed like she had improved. She boasted that it was because "Furaru" was personally tutoring her.

Dad left to visit Grandma and Grandpa. And once he'd confirmed my grandma's improved condition, he quickly returned to America after getting a few vaccine shots per Mom's request. Dad doesn't like shots either. Mom was gone on a week long business trip, and after that, she headed off to America to help my dad. And Kimiko was always either at school, work, or Masahiko's house.

So it seemed like things were going well. No family troubles to bother me, no pesky classmates to bother me, and absolutely no love rivals to bother me.

Maybe the fact that things were going well should have told me something. But I was oblivious to it all until I walked into the Host Club's backroom in search for Mitsukuni and found him kissing Hayakawa Ayako.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh... Such a cliffhanger... :D So, in a way, the previous chapters on Suzume and stuff can be considered fillers for character development, and this chapter was just a set-up for coming ones.<strong>

**When I read this chapter, it doesn't seem that long. But the word count says otherwise. It's almost to 7000! :O Anyway, hope you are all doing well! Drop a review! And do you want other Host pairings? If enough people want them, then I guess I could put them in. Oh yeah, what do you think Honey is doing? ;) Thank you for reading!**


	52. Damn

**The-Last-Fire-Twin: **Hi! Thank you so much! ^-^ I'm so glad you decided to read this! And now the cliffhanger is no more. Hope you like this chapter! :)

**PhoenixOtaku: **Why didn't I think of the Host Club coming to join? T_T Oh but that would have made the chapter so much longer. Thank you for reviewing! :D

**AnimeBestie: **I see you finally made an account! Yay! Congrats! ^-^ I'm assuming you got your computer? Lasertag + Japanese names = cool! Oh yeah, happy birthday! Thanks for reviewing!

**booksloverforever14: **Hehe, guess you didn't have to wait two weeks. :) Lol thank you for reading and reviewing!

**AwakenedSecrets: **Lol your reaction. XD Well, you'll see, you'll see. Thank you for your continuous support!

**Anatolie: **Yay, I got to make your day. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy the chapter.

**candymoon2315: **The marshmallow gun is back! :D Lol well this is related to the main plot and all that and things will be clearer soon. Thank you for reviewing!

**Hime1234: **Thank you! ^-^ Thank you! Hope you like this chapter!

**Strawberry Neko:** 2nd person expecting the Host Club to show up. Whyyyy didn't I think of this? ;_; It would have been a lot of fun to write. And no one else has mentioned extra pairings, but maybe I'll write a short extra about them and see. :) Thank you for the review!

**AquilonIII: **About Ashida, he's not very vital to the plot. He's just a character from the past lol. Kyoya as son of Hades? That would fit him sooo well haha. It's a Percy Jackson X Ouran crossover! :D Tamaki would probably be son of Zeus, mainly cause he's the King and all that. Honey makes me think of Cupid lol. Yup, the Host Club is going to appear again soon. Sorry for the neglect aaaah. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Guest: **Oh no, I thank everyone for deciding to read this and read it all lol. XD And to review. It really makes my day and I love all the feedback and thoughts I get. Good ideas! I'll try my best! Thank you for reviewing! PS. Is there any nickname you have that I can refer to you by instead of just "Guest"?

**Kyoya3guest: **Hey, I feel like I haven't seen you in a while haha. I'm so happy about your reaction lol. Now you'll get to see exactly what happened. :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Helen Teng: **Hi there! Thank you for favoriting and following! :) Lol it's not a surprise that it took a while to catch up. This story is so long lol. So you like a bold Honey? :D If you do, maybe I'll put more of that in there. Drama. Why are you in the club if you don't like it? :P Oh and yes! You're right that there were some clues dropped (foreshadowing!), nice catch. :D Thank you for the lovely review!

**As you may expect, there are more swear words in this chapter than usual. Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>I had gone to the Host Club room at the end of the day to return a textbook Mitsukuni had borrowed me. I'd forgotten mine at home. The club room was empty except for Kyoya, typing away on his computer.<p>

"Where's Mitsukuni?" I remembered asking him.

"In the backroom," Kyoya had replied without a glance at me.

I was already entering the room when I heard Kyoya mumble something. That's when I saw Mitsukuni. Kissing Hayakawa.

I dropped the textbook on the ground. I thought Mitsukuni would quickly break away, looking flustered, embarrassed. I thought he'd rush to my side and start yelling out excuses and reasons. He'd tripped and had accidentally kissed her. He was being blackmailed. It wasn't what I thought it was. It didn't matter if it didn't make any sense. So long as it was something. Something that told me what I saw wasn't right, wasn't true.

But none of that happened.

He broke away from Hayakawa slowly, almost gently. The two of them were red in the face, but there was some look of satisfaction in Mitsukuni's eyes. I found myself frozen in shock, alone in the world with nothing but my heart beat pounding and pounding away.

"Mitsu… kuni…"

"Ah Rika!" There was a strange flurry of emotions that danced across his face before he simply smiled. "Uh…"

Say it. Say this isn't what I think it is.

"Guess you found out," he said, making a face that just screamed oopsy-daisy.

"Found… what out?" My voice didn't sound like mine. It came out as a whisper, raspy and distant. I was staring hollowly at them, at their feet, trying to get that burning image out of my head.

His mouth dropped open and then Mitsukuni said, "Isn't it obvious?"

I shook my head slowly. Hayakawa was staying silent, a look of grim determination on her face. She was frowning though. What did this all mean? What the hell was going on?

"I'm breaking up with you," he said.

I had to count my breaths. Inhale exhale inhale exhale. Why was it so hard to just breath? Damn it. I forced myself to swallow, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. No, not in front of them. It felt like my heart was being squeezed dry, and the butterflies in my stomach had suddenly gone insane. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping against all hope that this was not happening.

It's a dream. It's got to be a dream!

When I opened my eyes, though, they were still standing there. And Mitsukuni was holding _her_ hand. Not my hand. He was standing next to _her._ Not next to me.

I swallowed again, but the lump refused to move. I opened my mouth, but not a sound came out. I breathed in. I breathed out.

"What?" I managed to squeak out, blinking furiously.

"I don't really want to say it again, Rika," Mitsukuni replied with a small frown.

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked again.

I shook my head. "No. Why the hell would it…"

Mitsukuni sighed. "I was hoping I could break up with you in a nicer way, Rika, but I guess not. You see, I'm in love with Aya."

Aya… Aya…

"Why?" My voice trembled.

"I just like her more," he said, scooting closer to her. "And I just don't like you anymore. That's all." He shrugged, as if we were discussing an easy math problem.

"And?" I asked. "What does it-"

"You still don't get it?" He sounded irritated. Then he reached over and started pushing me out of the room. "Get out! You're so annoying!"

"Wait!"

The door slammed in front of me.

"Mitsu-Mitsukuni!" I started pounding fiercely on the door. Now that I couldn't see him, now that I couldn't see the two of them right next to each other, I had the courage to scream out my thoughts. "What do you mean that's all? How can it be that's all? After everything we did together? I thought you said you- You swore you'd keep the kidnappers away from me! How the hell are you going to do that when you're doing-doing... stuff! With Hayakawa! You idiot! You big fucking idiot! Why can't you just give me an excuse? Why can't you just say it isn't what I think it is? Why do you have to-"

Arms swept me off the ground and I started flailing. "Let me go! Kyoya! Put me down!" The tears were falling before I knew it, and I turned into a sobbing, pathetic mess.

He set me down gently on a couch far from the backroom. Then he handed me a handkerchief and looked away.

Stop crying. Don't let him - you can't let him. No. Don't let him hear you crying. I took a deep breath in, trying to suck all the tears back inside.

"Calm down, Rika," he said quietly.

"Calm down!" I yelled at him, the urge to cry quickly replaced with frustration and anger. "How can you tell me to calm down?! And why the fucking hell should _I_ have to calm down?!"

He stared at me with a sympathetic gaze. "I'm sorry Rika."

I scrambled off the couch, crumpling the handkerchief in my palm. "Bye," I managed to say before storming out of the clubroom. I made sure to slam the door as loudly as possible. Then I punched the door, square in the middle, leaving behind a beautiful fist-sized dent.

* * *

><p>It took about thirty minutes for me to arrive. I was miserable and pissed-off, and I kicked the sidewalk as I walked.<p>

"Hey, a new kid!"

I glared at the group of four high schoolers who came to surround me. What the hell. I thought this place was all cleared up. Why are there still these idiotic boys here?

"Fuck off," I said.

"Ooh, this kid's got a dirty tongue," one boy sneered.

I ignored them, plowing through their crowd. They followed me, encircling me. How obnoxious.

"Where'd you come from kid?"

"Where are your parents kid?"

"Did you run away from home? Kid?"

"Are you skipping school kid?"

"Or are you actually a member of the Go-Home club? Huh, kid?"

That's it.

I whipped around and punched the closest guy in the solar plexus. "Shut the fuck up! God you guys are so damn annoying!"

The three guys froze, looking rather shocked, as their buddy was bent over hacking up his lungs. "Who the hell are you guys anyway?" I asked. "High schoolers should be at their damn school for clubs! Not running around being stupid idiots! What the hell are the Red Dragons doing?"

"Red... Dragons?" one guy said in a whisper as he paled. The others looked around nervously.

"Rika-nee?"

I turned and found myself staring at Yuuta, whose mouth immediately dropped open. "Ri-Rika-nee?! What are you doing here?"

"Rika?" one guy behind me muttered.

I grabbed Yuuta's hand and began speed-walking towards my destination. "Let's go, Yuu-chan," I said quietly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

I shook my head with a sigh. "I don't know either."

"Okay." Then he glanced down at our joined hands. "Um, Rika-nee, um."

"Sorry," I said. "Just let me, please." He gave me a concerned glance but knew better than to ask. I'd explain it all when we arrived, and he knew it.

He gave my hand a squeeze. "It'll be okay, Rika-nee," he said softly.

My heart sank at the thought. Okay? What in the world would be okay? Without Mitsukuni, what was so great about staying at Ouran? As great as the Host Club was, I really wasn't _that_ close to them. They still couldn't compare to the gang. I might as well apply for that study-abroad program now.

"Onee-san, it's this way." Yuuta's voice shook me out of my thoughts. He tugged me towards a different street.

"Huh?"

"Things have changed," he said simply.

"Yeah," I said, then I glanced up at him. "What were you doing over by the train station anyway?"

"Basketball practice!" he replied with a grin. "Well, it was supposed to be basketball practice, but it got cancelled. So I'm coming back now."

It sure had taken me a while, but I finally noticed him wearing the school gym uniform. He had a sports bag hanging by his side.

"Where do you guys practice?" I asked. Maybe talking to Yuuta would help. Maybe if I just didn't think about it.

"We practice at that large basketball court by the station," he replied. "It's where the other middle schools practice too. That's why I can't wait for high school! Then we'll finally have our own basketball court!" He smiled.

I managed a smile too. Yuuta was always full of optimism.

"A-Asari-kun!" a tall girl, with long black hair in a straight ponytail, and big brown eyes ran up to us. "Fancy meeting you here, huh?" She chuckled nervously, blushing. Then she stared at me. "Who are you?" she asked bluntly.

"Who are you?" I said.

"Don't you know her?" Yuuta asked me.

"Do I?" I scrutinized her face, trying to pinpoint some name. She did look familiar, but not really at the same time.

She frowned scornfully. "You don't know who I am? Where did you come from?!"

"Planet Mars," I replied drily.

"Oh." Her eyes lit up in realization. Then she smiled sweetly. "Asari-kun, could you introduce me to your little friend?"

Little… How dare she. Just cause she's taller than me?

Yuuta glanced at me, looking rather worried. "Um, Rika-nee, this is my senpai, Katsushika Mari."

Woah, what?

"Katsushika?" I said, mouth dropping. "As in Mina's little sis?"

"Eh?" Mari jumped. "Wh-What are you talking about? Don't group me with that weirdo!" She pouted, although a faint shade of red appeared on her cheeks.

"Katsushika-senpai," Yuuta said. "This is Akamatsu- ah!" He glanced at me.

I shrugged. "Hayashi is fine."

"Hayashi Rika," he finished.

"What's with the two…" She paused. "Wait a minute, Akamatsu Rika? You mean _the_ Rika? As in… Wow. You've barely changed, Rika-san."

"Yeah," I replied with a small smile. "You certainly have though, Mari-chan."

"Do-Don't call me that!" she said, blushing again.

"We're going into the school," I said. "So…"

"Oh! Okay then." A look of disappointment flickered for a second before vanishing. She smiled. She was actually quite pretty. She had a slim but healthy frame, nice smooth skin, and a cute smile. "Bye Asari-kun!"

"Bye senpai," Yuuta said.

Just as I was thinking that I could finally see the gang again, we encountered another girl.

"Ah, Asari-kun!" the girl waved at him. "You left this at-" She froze in front of us, an arm held out holding a notebook. She blushed, and I realized it was because she saw the two of us holding hands. "So-Sorry Asari-kun, I didn't know you had a gi-girl-"

"It's not what it looks like!" I said. "I'm actually a high school third year, and-"

"So you like older women," the girl said, eyes widening even further.

"No I don't!" Yuuta yelled. He quickly let go of my hand. "She-She's like my older sister, okay? And she's my older brother's, like, best friend, so…" He looked away, rubbing the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

My mouth dropped. "Oh my God! Yuu-chan! You're blushing!" I squealed, pinching his cheek.

"Rika-nee!" he yelled, blushing even more, as he swatted my hand away. "St-Stop it!"

The girl giggled. She looked relieved. Man, was someone in love that easy to read? "That's, uh, good."

Yuuta glanced at her.

"Good as in good for you! To have, like, an older sister," she said, rushing to amend her statement. "I-I'd like to have an older sister too."

As she handed him her notebook and struck up a light conversation, I searched the school yard for anyone I knew. There was none.

"Oh! Rika-nee." Yuuta tugged on my sleeve. "This is my classmate, Sasaki Kana. Sasaki-san, this is Hayashi Rika."

The two of us bowed at each other, exchanging formal greetings.

"I'll go ahead, Yuu-chan," I said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You stay here and talk."

"Eh? No, that's okay!" he said.

"Come on." I rolled my eyes and glanced at Sasaki. She smiled at me. "Stay and talk with her." Then I smirked.

"What does that expression mean?" Yuuta asked almost fearfully.

"Come find us when we're done!" I headed towards the old storage building. Only a few seconds passed before he came chasing after me. "Oh come on, Yuu-chan! Can't you tell when a girl likes you?"

"Huh?" His whole face turned into a dark glorious shade of red.

"Wow. You really know how to blush," I muttered.

"Wa-Wait, Rika-nee, what did you mean?" he asked, grabbing my arm. "Say that again! What do you mean?"  
>"What? She likes you?" I replied, unsure of what he meant.<p>

His ears were seriously dark red by now as he let go and looked away. "That-That's not possible. Sasaki-san is a cute, smart girl and ev-everyone likes her." He made a cute pouty expression, staring at his feet as we headed toward the small building by the school.

"So you like her," I said with a smirk. He ducked his head further down and I laughed. "That's great, Yuu-chan! Isn't love just gr-"

I froze and let my sentence die away. I saw him raise his head in concern, so I forced a smile and said, "Great."

I wasn't sure what made me nervous as we drew closer to the sliding door. Was it the anticipation of seeing them all again? Or was it the anxiety of having to explain why I was here?

Either way, I slid the door open with my heart beating a mile a minute.

Ryota looked up from where he sat, reading a book. He seemed to freeze, and we all stayed there, as immobile as stone, staring at each other. Then he stood up, set his book down, and hastily shut the cardboard box on the table, shoving it away. He slowly tottered towards us.

I found myself breathless, waiting for his reaction. He stopped in front of me and stared at me some more. He said, "Rika?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He gaped at me and after a few more seconds of staring, he poked my forehead.

"Hey!"

A slow grin spread on his face, and before I could say anything else, I found myself in his arms. "Hey," he said quietly. I relaxed in his arms. The scent of Ryota, the feel of the school uniform. It was all so nostalgic. And comforting.

"I can't believe it. You're really here," he said with a chuckle. "I thought I was hallucinating or something."

I giggled. "Nope. Not hallucinating. I'm really here."

"Hey, Yuuta-kun, why are you jus-"

Ooh. That gorgeous, familiar voice.

"Goofy. Let go of her."

"Oh come on, Akane!" Ryota whined. "I just saw her too."

"Well it's my turn now," she said.

I giggled, trying to turn to see her. "What are you guys-" He let go of me and I found myself stumbling into Akane's arms.

"Rika! Gaaa! I've missed you so much!" She squeezed me tightly.

"I've missed you too," I said.

"Woah, your bangs have gotten a lot longer." She poked at my exposed forehead. I hadn't seen the family hairstylist in a long time, and I didn't have the motivation to. But it was true that my bangs had gone from a fringe to side bangs.

"OMG! I have good news for you!" she said, excitedly, pulling away. "I got Minnie to start reading a manga!"

"Seriously? Nice! What manga?"

"Horimiya! Since I love that manga, but I don't think Minnie liked it that much," Akane replied.

"Not fluffy enough?" I asked with a grin. "You should have suggested OHSHC. That's fluffy and funny. And it's got hot guys in it."

Akane snickered. "Good idea."

"Hey how come when Akane hugs you, you get all excited and stuff?" Ryota said, having returned to his seat.

"Cause," I replied. "It's Akane."

He rolled his eyes.

"We're back!"

It was the 3 Musketeers and they came in carrying plastic bags, most likely from the nearby convenience store. They stopped at the doorway to gawk at me. "Captain?!" the three said in unison.

"Rika!" Tarou swept me up in a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Rikuto asked.

"Good to see you!" Kenta said, rubbing my head.

"Hey!" I said, smacking his hand away. My hand brushed against the rose that was still in my hair, and I quickly pulled it out. I stared at the pink rose. Mitsukuni's rose. I closed my fingers around it, before stuffing it in my pocket.

"Good question," Akane said. "What are you doing here?"

"We brought snacks!" Tarou said, as he pulled out a few boxes of pocky from the bag. "And drinks! Oh, hang on, Rika, I'll go buy you a drink-"

"It's fine, Tarou!" I called.

"The vending machine is just over there," he said, pointing out the door. As he was heading back out of the clubroom, however, he ran into Mina and Mikiya. "Hey, you two."

"Tarou stay!" I yelled.

He paused and glanced back at me, alarmed by my reaction. "Okay then..."

"What's going-" Mikiya paused as the crowd shifted so that I could see them. "Rika?"

"What? Rika?" Mina pushed her way towards me. "Oh Rika! It's great to see you again!" She pulled me into a hug. "You have no idea how much it sucks without you here."

I managed to chuckle a bit. "You've got Mikiya though."

"True." She smiled.

Mikiya stared at me some more. "So… why are you here?"

"Don't want me here?" I teased with a smile.

"No! Of course I do!" he said hastily.

I laughed. "You're so easy to tease, Mickey!" I punched his shoulder lightly. "It's great to see you all again. Really, you have no idea-"

The lump returned, and so did the heart strangling. Seriously, why did- The tears fell, like a dam had finally broken. And everything rushed out, and the world blurred. And everyone was rushing towards me, hugging me, saying soothing words, basking me in their warmth, kindness, and love.

This was why I'd come here. I'd come here to be with friends. To be with people I knew I could lean on no matter what state I was in, no matter how much of a burden I was. I came here to feel like I was loved. To know that I am loved. So that maybe, just maybe, their love can erase the pain.

Akane had her arms wrapped around me the entire time. She didn't say anything. She just stroked my hair, gently. Everyone was trying to hug me. It was like a huge group hug, with everyone intertwined.

I don't know how long it was, but eventually, the tears subsided. I found myself leaning against Akane, hiccuping and feeling miserable.

"So what happened?" Ryota asked.

"Yeah," the others voiced their curiosity.

"Take your time," Akane said.

I did. I waited until my breath had steadied, until the butterflies had stopped rampaging, and until it seemed like I could talk normally. "I... was… dumped."

"_What?!"_

"Dumped by Honey-san?" Mina asked with wide eyes.

I nodded and another uproar began.

"He's an idiot!" Ryota said.

"But why?" Mikiya asked, as always remaining calm.

I took in a shaky breath. "Apparently because he li-likes this... other girl."

"He _is _an idiot!" Akane said.

"And a jerk!" Ryota added.

Rikuto held up his hands. "Hang on. Did he just like say he was going to dump you-" Akane shot him a glare and he stopped.

"He just wants the details," Kenta said. "Chill, Mother Goose."

"Mother Goose?" I repeated with a snort. "Your new nickname, Akane?"

She glared at me. "It is not a new nickname."

"Okay," I said with a genuine smirk. "Mother Goose." I started giggling at the bizarre nickname. Akane used to be notoriously known as the Ice Queen, and now she was being called something like Mother Goose?

"Rika!" Akane said, sounding exasperated when my laughter continued.

"Okay. Sorry." I took in a deep breath to prepare myself. "Okay, I'll tell you guys the details, but you have to promise not to like… do anything about it."  
>"What do you mean?" Akane asked as her eyes narrowed in suspicion.<p>

"It's mainly towards you," I said. "And Ryota. I'm saying you two can't get pissed. I'm already pissed enough…" I paused, then I giggled some more. "I think I haven't actually processed what this means. This is so stupid! Crying over that idiot!"

"That's right!" Ryota said.

"Anyway." I leaned against the table. "Basically, I found him kissing this other girl, and then he told me he was breaking up with me."

Akane's mouth quickly turned into a hard frown. "Basically? Rika, how can you call that basically?"

I shrugged. "Whatever."

"You really must not have processed it yet," Mina said.

"No kidding," Ryota grumbled behind me.

"Wait." Rikuto held up his hands again. "So did he say he was going to go out with that other girl?"

As much as I didn't want to, I delved back into those gruesome memories and searched for the answer. "No, he didn't say anything like that," I said.

"So did he like purposefully let you see him kissing her? Or was it really on accident?" he asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" I replied with a frown.

"Do you know the girl though?" he continued.

I nodded.

"What's she like?"

"She's nice," I said.

"So you wouldn't expect her to do something like that, right?" Rikuto said. I frowned. Before I'd gotten to know Hayakawa, I would have thought it was some underhanded move she made, forcing Mitsukuni to do this kind of thing to me. But now…

"She knows the two of us are dating." I sighed. "Were. Were dating, and she used to like him. But then she told me that she was going to stop chasing after him because she thought the two of us were… good together."

"Hm. Suspicious," Akane said.

"But she got her friend to give up on Mitsukuni too," I said. I shook my head. "I don't think it's her. It's-It's got to be Mitsukuni. He must have some reason to do this kind of thing. What if he's being threatened by the kidnappers? What if they're forcing him to do something like this?"

"Or," Ryota cut in loudly. "What if he's just an idiot and an asshole who decided to break up with you?"

I frowned. "O-Or that."

"Ryota!" Akane hissed. I heard her smack him.

"Ow! Hey! You know I have a bruise on this arm!" Ryota said.

"Ri-Rika-nee," Yuuta said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Is that why you came here?" he asked.

"Yeah." I smiled. "I came here to find you guys. Thank you, everyone, for your support. You guys are the best." They all smiled and mumbled some of their usual modest stuff.  
>"Are you feeling better?" Akane asked.<p>

I nodded. "Definitely. We should go get ice cream!"

"Okay!" They all cheered.

"Wait!" Kenta held up a hand. Then he jabbed a finger at me. "You're going to go out wearing that?"

I stared down and realized that I was wearing the hideous Ouran uniform. "Oh yeah. This is the Ouran girls' uniform. Beautiful right?"

"It-It's certainly a work of art," Mina said quietly.

I grinned. "Kidding! It's really ugly right? Some girls can actually pull it off though. Do you guys have clothes I can change into?" I asked.

"Yeah." Akane moved to the small stack of boxes in the corner.

"You guys really fixed this place up," I said, finally taking in a good view of the clubroom. It wasn't any bigger, but a lot of the old storage stuff had moved out. There was less clutter in general and even a new window on the side.

"You got a window?" I asked. "Why a window?"

"It gets stuffy in here easily. Did you already forget?" Ryota said.

"Where'd you get the money though?"

They all stared at me. I nodded when the truth dawned upon me. "Ahh. Well, my departure turned out to be a benefit for you guys, right?" I grinned.

"Not really," Mina said. Mikiya shook his head.

"As if!" Tarou said.

"Here's a pair of jeans," Akane interrupted, holding some blue jeans up.

"Oh those are mine," Mina said.

"And there's a stack of t-shirts." Akane threw the jeans at me as she began rummaging through the box. She held up one black shirt with "Washington DC" written on it. "Whose is this?"

"A souvenir my sister gave me," Tarou replied. "It's probably too big for Rika."

"Isn't there one of my shirts in there?" Mina asked, as the crowd moved towards the box.

"No, we haven't changed our spare clothing box in a while," Akane said. Our spare clothing box had started up in the early days, when we'd sometimes get blood splattered on our shirts. Ahh, the good old days when we hand-washed our shirts of those blood stains. Now that box was probably just used to carry extra clothing for whatever the occasion that they may need it.

I sat down in the chair opposite Ryota.

"Are you okay?" he asked, thumbing through his book.

"Yeah," I said. "I guess I still don't believe it. It's stupid right? I don't think it's Mitsukuni who did this. It's just not like him at all. What he did. What he said. He called me 'annoying.'" A twist of irritation struck me when I said this. "And then he pushed me out. What the hell. Mitsukuni would never do-"

"Well what if he did?" Ryota asked. His tone seemed sharper than usual.

I sighed. "Then I'll want to really, really hurt someone."

I put my head down on the table and stared at him. He stared back. "What?"

"Nothing," I said, closing my eyes.

"Hey, Rika! Found a shirt that might fit you!" Mina said.

"Okay, boys, get out!" Akane said.

"Which ice cream place are we going?" Rikuto asked.

"Obviously the one we always go to," Kenta said.

"Onii-chan, am I coming too?" Yuuta said.

"Of course." Ryota stood up. "Unless you don't want to."

Their voices faded as the door shut. "Rika? You okay?" Mina tapped the top of my head. "Do you want to change?"

Akane was standing by the window. The blinds had already been pulled shut as I climbed to my feet. I was feeling quite tired now.

"Yeah. This dress is really awkward and not the most comfortable," I said.

"I'll watch the window," Akane said. "Mina, get the door."

"Got it!" she said.

"Here." Akane handed me the stack of clothing before turning away out the window. "The shirt used to be Yuuta-kun's, but I think he can't fit it anymore."

"Okay." I pulled the jeans on first before taking the dress off and yanking the plain white tee over my head. I folded the dress up, stuffed it into my school bag, then slipped my feet back into those troublesome Mary Janes.

"Good?" Akane asked as we headed out.

"Yeah," I said. "I think I feel better already."

"That's good." She took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "That's really good."

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"Kyoya! Why is there a hole in our beautiful door?" Tamaki wailed as he entered the music room.

Kyoya sighed, seated on a couch with his laptop. "That would be Honey-senpai and Rika's fault. And it's not even a hole, it's just a dent."

"It's practically a hole, Kyoya! What are we going to tell our guests? And-" Tamaki froze, standing dazedly in front of Kyoya. "Wait! What does it have to do with Honey-senpai?"

"I'll have it fixed by the end of the day," Kyoya replied.

"Answer my question, Kyoya!" Tamaki demanded, closing the lid of Kyoya's laptop.

He sighed, pulling the laptop screen back up. "Why don't you ask Honey-senpai yourself?" Honey sat, curled up with his knees to his chest, on a couch far away. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," came Honey's quiet reply.

"You're going to regret it," Kyoya said.

"It's okay."

"What's going on?" Tamaki asked as his gaze whipped back and forth between the two.

"Nothing for you to worry about." Kyoya smiled.

"Hello!" The twins burst into the club room. "Did someone punch the door?"

"Yes," Kyoya said.

"What happened to the door?" Haruhi asked, as she followed the twins in.

"Someone punched it," the twins replied. "Tono, did you piss someone off?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Tamaki said defensively.

"So you _were _the one who did it." The twins sighed.

"I didn't do it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Man I forgot how fun the whole Host Club together is. Well now you all know a hint about what's going on (from Honey's side anyhow). What do you think? If you haven't noticed, yes this is the beginning of the small angst arc. Is Rika too angsty? Is it annoying? Not enough? Do you like this? Or hate this? Did you feel any emotions while reading it? Please share with me any of your thoughts! It's much appreciated! :D<br>**

**And, as always, thank you for reading! ^-^**


	53. I don't even know anymore

**Another weekly update! It's short though. Thanks for all the new follows and faves!**

**Hime1234:** Thank you! You might be able to pick up some clues in this chapter. :) Thanks for the review!

**helpmewoofy11:** What do you think the secret motive is? Thank you for reading and reviewing! :D**  
><strong>

**Strawberry Neko: **XD Thank you for that interesting review. Hopefully you'll have some words after this chapter.

**Oeve:** Lol, you can't solve everything with violence. I think. Thanks a lot for reading and reviewing! ^-^

**Guest-Lala: **Lala! Hi! :) I'm glad it didn't fit your expectations hehe. Thank you so much!

**candymoon2315:** I liked how you added the battery to your F*** list. XD And I liked the pocky game idea so it'll appear in the next next chapter. :) Interesting hypotheses, especially that Santa Claus one lol. You'll find out whether they're correct or not. Thank you for your review! Oh and about the Mori thing, I've had that planned out and the answer to that is in the next chapter! And I'll be doing my best from now on to integrate the Host Club in more!

**The-Last-Fire-Twin: **With a spiked ring huh? Lol thank you a lot! :D There's more of the gang in this chapter too.

**Jewelsy426:** Oh so you are still reading! ^-^ Lol don't worry, this little arc will be over soon (and we can return to cake-tasting kisses). Thank you for continuing to read and review!

** AquilonIII:** Lol, great reaction. :D I'm glad it came as a surprise! And a gang vs Host Club... lol that'd be interesting. Thank you for the lovely review!

**AnimeBestie:** XD The shortest review from you that I've ever seen. Thank you!

**Anatolie:** Ooh you're guess is really good! :D Thank you a lot for reading and reviewing!

**randumbloggles9:** Lol violence isn't the answer. But who in the Host Club would even dare to hurt Honey? XD I can't imagine it lol. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**articwolfgirl347:** Changing ships? ^-^ Thank you for the review!

**PhoenixOtaku:** Yeah you have some good guesses. :) Lol, such an amusing reaction. XD Thank you for reading and reviewing for so long! I swear you've been around since chapter 20 or so?

**its booklover: **I like the emoticon you used. It's so cute! •_• And your multiple personalities... Scary lol. Thank you for reviewing!

**DearChibico:** Awesome review! :D The best reaction ever! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**justavamp: **So I'm not sure if you're going to see this, since you're probably not going to read anymore. But I do agree that there are too many OCs. D: As for fake reviews, alas, I'm too lazy to do something like that. Plus it's time-consuming going through and replying to reviews. Regardless, you have made me more conscious of what's in my chapter. So thank you for showing me a different view on my story. :)

**AwakenedSecrets:** Your phone and your heart both died? You must be having a rough week. ^^ Yeah ice cream is like the number 1 comfort food. And yay, I'm glad you noticed what Honey's doing. :D Lol Ryota would probably have a fairly deep voice (but not too deep). Thank you soooo much for your sweet review! I hope you'll enjoy the rest of this story!

**Forward! Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>"I love you guys."<p>

The gang perked up when I said this. Then they all blushed. We were sitting at two combined tables in the ice cream shop, all separately licking our ice cream cones or eating out of bowls.

"We love you too, Rika," Akane replied, licking her orange sorbet. The others nodded, still trying to recover.

I smiled. "So anything going on?"

"We're in different classes," Mina explained with a pout. "Everyone else is split in two classes and _I'm_ just all alone. It sucks!"

"Yup!" Kenta chimed in. "Ryota, Akane, and I are in one class."

"Then Tarou, Mikiya, and I are in another," Rikuto added.

"And I'm all alone!" Mina said.

"Well you can make new friends." I smiled. She made a face, and we all laughed.

"Then what are you all going to study?" I asked, glancing around the ring of friends.

"I'm thinking business or maybe engineering or maybe law," Akane replied. "But my dad says I should go back to the US for college. But I don't want to."

"I'm taking over my family's ramen place once I graduate," Rikuto said, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm going into computer science," Mikiya said. That certainly wasn't a surprise.

"Surgeon!" Mina declared happily.

"Seriously Mina?" I asked, eyes widening. "That's awesome!" She grinned sheepishly and shook her head.

"Me?" Kenta pointed at himself. When I nodded, he then continued with, "I dunno yet. Maybe like…" He shrugged. "I don't know. I might not go to a university. Not smart enough." He chuckled.

"I don't know yet either," Tarou said with a smile.

Akane leaned forward towards me. "Don't you think Tarou would make a great high school teacher?" She waved at him vaguely. "Just look at him!"

I did. It was just Tarou. His dark blond hair wasn't spiked that high anymore. He smiled at me rather nervously as if I was examining him. I smiled back. "You would make a good teacher. You explain things well and in a concise way. And you like working with younger people."

"Are you kidding me?" Tarou replied. "I'm terrified of children!"

I giggled. "Why else did Akane recommend _high school_ teacher?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not against the idea, but I just don't know if it's something that I'll really enjoy."

"We all think he should be a high school teacher," Akane explained to me.

"Ah but don't feel pressured!" Mina said. "If, um, you don't want to, then it's fine. We're just trying to help with suggestions."

Tarou chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know Mina. I'm thinking about it."

"Uh," Yuuta glanced around wildly. "I, uh, don't know yet."

I smiled. "It's fine. You have plenty of time. Your turn, Ryota."

He shrugged, frowning in thought. "Engineering, maybe. But I suck at math." He sighed. "So maybe not. What about you, Rika?"

"Taking over the family business," I said. "So I guess I'll have to study business and other stuff. If…" I trailed off. If Mitsukuni and I were really over, then I might just go study abroad. "If you guys come to Tokyo, that'd be awesome."

"Yeah," they said quietly.

We chatted some more. I told them that we'd ran into Mina's little sister before and it had been quite an interesting experience. Mari had changed a lot. My image of her had been her child model days, with round cheeks and a bright grin. She'd been a snobby kid though and difficult to interact with.

Once we'd polished off all our ice cream, we stood and began walking back towards the clubroom.

"Oh!" Akane smacked a fist into her open palm when Ryota had opened the clubroom door. "You came at a perfect time, Rika!"

"What?" I said. She rushed to the table and grabbed the cardboard box sitting on it. She seemed to rummage through it for a moment.

"Wait, right now?" Ryota said quietly, heading to her side. The others shoved past me to surround the box.

"What's going on?" I asked, curiosity growing each second. Akane hoisted the box up into her arms and everyone turned to me.

"One," Akane said.

"Two," Mina said.

"Three," Mikiya said with an anxiously looking grin.

"Happy birthday!" they all yelled in unison.

I jumped in surprise. "What?" I grinned.

"Here." Akane handed me the box. Inside, I could see neatly wrapped gifts and cards. "From all of us. We were planning on shipping it later to Honey's house and having him give it to you, but since you're here, you can just take it."

"Oh wow." I gaped at the gifts then up at my friends who were all beaming. "Thank you guys so much!"

"Open the gifts!" Mina said excitedly.

"Sure." I set the box back down. "But my birthday isn't until Thursday."

"Well, it's close enough," Ryota replied.

"And how am I supposed to haul this stuff back?" I asked. Everyone stared at the box.

"It'd be too big, right?" I continued. "And I'm definitely going to be questioned on the contents of this box, so…"

I pulled out a bag of chocolates. "Chocolate! Sweet! Let's eat this right now then." I opened the bag and pulled a truffle out, before handing it to the nearest person: Rikuto. He shook his head.

"Do you have any idea how much chocolate we've already eaten?" he asked.

"The whole Akane-being-popular thing?" I replied with a smirk.

"Just look over there." Kenta pointed and my gaze followed to the corner at the left, opposite the window where there was a cardboard box filled with packages... of chocolate.

"Wow." My mouth dropped open more in awe than surprise. "That is incredible, Akane. Incredible, I tell you."

"You should take some," she said. "Even I don't want this much chocolate."

I popped another truffle into my mouth. "Why don't you give it away to kids?"

"And be caught as pedos?" Ryota mumbled. Kenta giggled.

Akane rolled her eyes. "Believe me, we've tried."

"Wait," Rikuto cut in. "You can at least smuggle some gifts back right?" He nodded at my school bag.

"Yeah," I said. "Depends on the size."

"Rock-paper-scissors, it is," Tarou said, sounding resigned.

"What, no!" Kenta replied. "We are not deciding based on rock-paper-scissors!"

"That's just cause you suck at it," Ryota said. "Come on." Everyone put their hands in the circle.

"Do I join in?" I asked excitedly. They glanced at me and then nodded and shrugged. "Yay!"

"What about me?" Yuuta said.

"It's okay," Ryota replied. "I'll represent both of us."

"Rock. Paper. Scissors!"

There were too many of us for any kind of outcome. We kept trying at least three more times, but each time, there was always a rock, a paper, and a scissor.

"Tournament version time," Mina said with a sigh.

"What are we even deciding with this?" I asked. They all turned to me, looking mildly surprised that I didn't know.

"Obviously it's whose gift you'll be taking back," Akane replied when no one said a word.

"Ohh." I nodded in understanding.

"That's why I said it should be which one she likes best!" Kenta said.

"It's just cause you suck at rock-paper-scissors," Ryota replied.

"Yeah, just admit it already," Tarou teased with a grin. Rikuto giggled some more.

"You guys already discussed this?" I asked. They all nodded.

"We worried that we might be sending too much," Mikiya explained. "So we decided that if it comes to whose gift will be sent, we'd find out through rock-paper-scissors."

"Ah. I see."

"Why don't we let Rika decide?" Mikiya asked the group. Everyone agreed quite easily.

"I don't think I can take that much," I said. "Plus if I did bring it back, where would I put it without it being found out?"

"Are you implying that you won't take any gifts back?" Rikuto asked.

I nodded. "Probably not. Thank you all though." I smiled. "I'll just keep them here and someday pick it up."

"Sure." They agreed again.

"I should probably go, actually." I glanced at my watch. "I was technically supposed to be at club but I just ran away. Thank you all." I bowed, deeply.

"Hey!" Shouts ran out.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Hurry and get up!"

"Dummy." That was Ryota.

I grinned at them. "Really. I feel much better."

"You're not even going to open the gifts?" Tarou asked as I gathered up my school bag.

I shook my head. "No. Cause if I do, I'll see how awesome they are, and I'll want to take them with me. Can I change now?"

"Oh yeah." Akane began shoving the boys out. "Shoo boys."

They walked me to the train station. It was nice, walking with them once again. Our walking order hadn't changed much either. Akane walking to my left, and Ryota at my right. Mina and Mikiya just slightly behind us, chatting together with their hands linked. Yuuta trailed in beside them, always quiet and observing. The 3 Musketeers who'd been good friends even before joining the gang were in the back, goofing off.

"This is all so nostalgic," I said.

"Yeah." Akane smiled. "I miss it. The old days."

"Me too," Ryota said.

"For different reasons," she said.

"No they're not," he replied, shooting her a glare.

"Hehe." I smiled. As we reached the train station I prepared myself for the good-bye. "Thanks for everything today, everyone."

They all murmured their parts. How it had been fun, how I should visit more, how I could just barge in whenever I wanted to. Damn. Now I want to cry again, but because I can't see them as much as I'd like to. So I just smiled. "Bye."

"Bye!" they called, waving enthusiastically.

It was a nice sight to see. Those bright, grinning faces wishing me the best.

* * *

><p>I ended up just walking back home. The neighborhood wasn't that far from the train station, and it felt better to be moving, to be doing something. Then I went home and pretended like nothing had happened. My eyes weren't red and puffy anymore. At least, not enough to be noticeable.<p>

I did my homework, ate dinner. All was normal. Then I went to sleep and prepared myself for the next day.

But I didn't prepare myself enough.

First of all, Mitsukuni didn't coming ringing the doorbell to say that he was ready to go. I'd been carpooling with Takashi and him for a while now, so I had to get in my own car and be driven there. Azumi didn't ask why, but she did give me a weird look that meant that she was expecting an explanation or answer soon.

When I arrived at our classroom, Mitsukuni was already there, seated at his desk with his usual Host grin. Flowers floating everywhere. Usa-chan in his arms. It was like nothing had really changed.

I wondered if I could say good morning to him. I wondered if he would reply. But I didn't say anything. I just sat down at my desk and pulled out my homework and stared at it and tried to ignore his presence.

Maybe I should try talking to him. But when I turned around to say something, the bell rang and class began.

Later. I should ask him one last time for an excuse. One last chance. Besides, are we just not even going to be friends anymore? I'd rather we at least be friends. No, maybe not. Maybe being friends would be bad. I'd never get over him. Oh God. It really is happening. We're over.

The moment the bell rang, I leaned towards him. "Hey, Mitsu-"

He leapt out of his chair and out of the room before I'd finished. Not a single word. Not a single glance. Takashi nodded at me as he followed his cousin out. What did Takashi think about all of this? Did he know what was going on?

"Takashi, wait!" I followed him out. The three of us were all going to the same class anyway. He slowed so that I could catch up. Mitsukuni was now just walking down the hall, with that same grin.

"Do you know what's going on with Mitsukuni?" I asked.

He shook his head with a sigh. "He won't tell me." Then he tripped, tumbling gracefully down to the ground.

"Ta-Takashi? Are you okay?" I ran to his side. He nodded as he got back up. "Are you sure?" He nodded, but as he continued to walk, I saw him sway almost dangerously. Uh-oh. He didn't trip again though, as I scanned the crowd for Mitsukuni, quickly spotting his blond head rushing away from us. I wasn't sure whether to be mad or be sad. Being mad was always easier, so that's what I chose.

I sprinted down the hallway after Mitsukuni. Thanks to all the noise the students made, he didn't seem to notice I was nearby. Then he glanced back at me and tensed, before picking up his walking speed.

"Wait! I said, wait!"

When he didn't slow, I sped up, chasing after him. He began to run too. "Get back here, you jerk! How dare you! How dare you ignore Takashi like that! He's your cousin! He cares about you! And you just ignore the fact that he tripped? What if he hit his head and has a concussion? What if he scraped his knee? Are you just a heartless jerk now?"

Mitsukuni came to an abrupt stop and I nearly crashed into him. "Don't talk to me," he said quietly. Then he continued on.

"Jerk!" I screamed after him. "You idiot! I hate you!"

He seemed to twitch as if my words had actually made some kind of impact on him. I doubted it. What the hell was wrong with him? Did he have double personalities or something? Maybe he's gone crazy…

I ended up following after him into the classroom. I stared at him but he completely ignored me, watching the door as students streamed in.

"I'm trying to give you a chance here," I mumbled quietly. Too quietly for him to hear. "You could have just given me some lame excuse. Why is it Hayakawa anyway? Besides, you said that... If the kidnappers are threatening you, you could just tell me. I'm not scared of them. Besides, I'm safer with you beside me then without. You're an idiot, you know. A real idiot."

Mitsukuni's face seemed to darken and he glowered at the whiteboard.

"Oh, did you hear what I said?" I asked, this time loud enough for him to definitely hear. "Real mature, Mitsukuni. Just ignore me. This isn't how you solve problems in the real world. You can't just ignore a problem and it'll go away. I'm not going to go away, you know. I don't just go poof and disappear."

He slunk lower into his seat, eyebrows creasing further and further.

"Yeah. I know you can hear me. You-"

_Ring!_

Wow. Saved by the bell. He sat up again. Jerk.

* * *

><p>By the end of the day, I felt completely beat. He wouldn't say a word to me. After that annoyed, "Don't talk to me," he'd been silent all day. He just frowned and glared at whatever was nearby.<p>

I want to pull my hair out! Why is it this hard? I just want a good conversation with him about this! I want to know if he's going to go out with Hayakawa now! I want to know when he started liking her. And he's not the cheating type, so why didn't he break up with me before he started kissing her? Or was my whole opinion of him completely wrong?

Since he wouldn't give me answers, I just had to talk to someone else who could. I cornered Hayakawa at the end of the day in an empty hallway.

"I need to talk to you privately," I said.

"What is it?" she asked, looking rather nervous.

"Aya! Is she bullying you?" Ashika said when she caught her friend's expression. She glanced between the two of us. "You better not be bullying her!"

"She's not," Hayakawa reassured. "Now's, uh, not a good time."

"I don't care," I said, taking a step closer to them. "I want answers and Mitsukuni's not giving them to me. So you're going to answer my questions."

"You are bullying her!" Ashika said fiercely.

"No I'm not," I snapped.

"She's not, Suzume." Hayakawa backed me up.

"Why don't you go and like hang out with your boyfriend?" Ashika asked. "Cause I want to go to the Host Club, and Aya needs to go with me."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Right. I would be hanging out with my boyfriend right now…" I gave Hayakawa a sharp stare. "So just do me a favor and answer some questions."

"I can't." Hayakawa replied. She shook her head and shrugged and just said, "I can't. I'm sorry, Hayashi-san, but I just can't answer your questions."

"Aya-chan?" Mitsukuni appeared around the corner. "Ah-" He froze for a nanosecond when he saw me before moving towards us with his usual grin. "What are you guys doing?"

"I want some answers," I replied.

"Get them from him," Ashika said. "Bye now!" Then she grabbed Hayakawa's arm and they ran away.

"Hey!" I reached out to grab them but damn they were fast. When was Ashika fast? Or are they just that desperate to get away?

Mitsukuni turned to leave too.

"Not you too!" I grabbed his arm and jerked him towards me. "I want answers! Just answer my God damn questions and I'll leave you and your stupid, petty, fake love life alone!"

He swallowed visibly, suddenly looking more concerned than that annoyed look he'd been giving me before. "I don't want to," he replied, staring at his feet.

"Do it," I said. "As obligation. One final act. I don't care. Just please." My gaze softened. "Didn't we mean anything at all? No, uh, wait. That's not my question. When did you start liking Hayakawa-san? And are you going to go out with her? And, why do you like her? What made you change your opinions all the sudden and-"

He brushed past me without a word. "Just leave me alone. Please."

Ignored. That was all I was going to get.

"That's it?" I called after him. "Why do you keep ignoring me? Damn it Mitsukuni! Some answers can help me here! I can- I could move on, you know! Are you just trying to make me suffer?"

He'd already turned and disappeared around the corner. "I hate you! I hate you! _I really fucking hate you_!"

"Ri-Rika-senpai?"

I was trembling in anger and frustration and misery and confusion. When I saw Chiyo and her shocked look, I just shook my head.

"Are you okay?" she asked, approaching me carefully.

"Yes," I replied automatically. Then I paused and said, "No. I'm not okay. Nothing is okay. I hate him. I hate him. I hate this school. I hate those damn kidnappers. I hate my life. I-"

I started to shake again, choked up on a jumble of emotions. He could at least answer my questions. He could at least _look_ at me. Not once, throughout this entire day, had he looked at me. Not even once. Not even a disparaging glance. Nothing.

Chiyo wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close to her. "I'm sorry, Rika-senpai. I don't know what happened, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I shook my head, swallowing forcefully. "No-No. Don't be."

She rubbed my arm in a soothing manner. "Sorry. Sorry."

She reminded me of Akane. Her blond hair and her warm aura. So I stayed in her arms, trying to regather myself. I'd had enough. From now on, I'll ignore Mitsukuni too. I won't look at him either. Once I graduate, I'm getting out of this place.

"I'm fine now, Chiyo-san," I said quietly.

"Chiyo."

"What?"

"Just call me Chiyo," she replied softly.

"Okay. I'm fine now, Chiyo. Thank you." We pulled apart, and I was forced to stare into her bright blue eyes. Damn. She was, appearance-wise, a bit like Akane.

"So that jerk broke his promise," she said, crossing her arms. "He promised he wouldn't make you cry, but you obviously have been." She nodded at me.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore." I turned to leave. "Thanks, Chiyo. I'm leaving now."

"Wait!" She followed me down the hallway. "Don't you want anyone to stay with you? If you want, I'll go and slap that idiot for you. Even better, I'll beat him up!" She held up her fist.

I shook my head. "No. Thanks."

Chiyo's face fell, and I realized she was trying to cheer me up. So I forced a smile. "Really, thank you Chiyo."

She smiled. "I'll always be here for you, Rika."

"Mm." I nodded. "I'm going to go home then."

"So soon?" she asked as we reached the first floor.

"Yeah. Bye." I waved at her and she gave me a small smile. Then I began to trudge my way out the school.

I should have expected this. I did expect this. I'd expected that things would be different, that Mitsukuni wouldn't treat me the same way. I'd seen this coming, hadn't I? So why did it hurt so much?

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah it's short cause I cut some stuff out. But, look forward to next week, cause I will update! :D Dunno how long this weekly updating thing will last though... Thank you for reading!<strong>


	54. Finally, the truth

**helpmewoofy11: **Good guess! :D Everything's revealed in this chapter! Lol I wanted to put in some yuri originally, but Chiyo's not the type to take advantage of a depressed Rika. Thanks for the review!

**hotbibl: **Aw, lol, yeah hot chocolate is like the best comfort drink. ^-^ Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**kyoya3guest: **Haha that'd be such a mean April's Fool Day prank. XD Well, you'll know after this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**The-Last-Fire-Twin: **Thank you! Things will be lightening up. :) Thank you for the review!

**AnimeBestie: **Hopefully you'll like this chapter! Lol your reviews are short! Have you been watching any anime? Thanks for reviewing! :D

**Neon Wish: **Lol you'll hopefully understand why he dumped her. ^-^ Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**PhoenixOtaku: **Thanks a bunch! Now you should hurry and read to understand actions. ;D

**AwakenedSecrets: **Omg, thank you so much! I'm not depressed about that review haha because it's one out of so many other amazing reviews. And cause there are sweet and awesome people like you. :) Lol I read every review at least twice and I love your reviews! So thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and consideration! :D

**candymoon2315: **How do you get your guesses from looking at a plant? XD That's an interesting source of inspiration lol. Interesting ideas though, they always give me inspiration. Thanks for the review!

**Strawberry Neko**: That would be so cruel, and the Host Club must really hate her to want to crush her feelings. Thank you for reading! :D I write for lovely people like you lol. I do have an idea but it'd be a lot more Host Club-orientated, humor, whatever kind of story with OCs. But I'll want a nice break after this story ends haha. ^-^

**Hime1234: **Haha yeah Honey wouldn't really act like this without a good reason. It's kind of OOC right? :O Thank you for reading and reviewing! :) You've been around for a while too lol.

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>After changing out of the school uniform, I went into the backyard in Kimiko's sweatpants and hoodie. Mom and Dad were both still in America. Maybe… I located the best climbing tree in our backyard and hoisted myself up.<p>

"Rika-sama, just what are you doing?" Azumi found me camping high up in the tree a half-hour later, doing my math homework and listening to music.

"Doing homework," I replied. "Can't you see?" I had my calculator balanced precariously on my leg.

"Yes. But why up in the tree? It's dangerous. Come down," she said.

"I will, just not now."

"What about dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," I replied, finishing off another problem. "You're making it hard to do my homework, Azumi."

She sighed. "Alright."

She came back to pester me a few more times, especially when dinner was ready. I ended up getting mad at her and yelling after she threatened to call my sun eventually disappeared and I was left in the darkness. At least, that's what I wished had happened. Azumi had the whole backyard illuminated with some stupid lights that she got from who knows where.

"Rika-sama, aren't you cold?"

"Why can't you leave me alone?" I moaned in irritation. "And turn the stupid lights off, while you're at it. I'll come down when I want to."

She did. I was left, finally, in the peaceful darkness, with birds and bugs chirping in the background. It was starting to get cold, but I was wearing my coat and I could have cared less if I froze to death.

_Ring!_

I sighed, picking up my cellphone without much thought.

"Hello, Rika. Why is it that I hear you're up in a tree and refusing to come down to eat dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," I mumbled. "And I'm fine. I just want to sit in a tree and enjoy nature. But apparently, that's what crazy people do these days."

Mom sighed. "I'll be back soon, so just wait. We'll discuss this further."

"You'll be back?" I asked. "But you're in America right now, aren't you?"

"No. I got a call from Azumi and I was worried, so I flew back."

"How? The plane trip is-"

"Hours long? I flew back from Sapporo, silly. I had some brief business there. I was already planning on coming back tomorrow. Your birthday party is coming up after all." She paused in thought. "Anyway, I'll be there soon. Just wait."

Then she hung up on me. Just wait? I had half the mind to get out of the tree now. What was she going to do? Send Black Garlic Squad members up to drag me out of the tree?

Mom appeared in the backyard quickly enough, with Squad members trailing behind her. Oh shit. That _is_ what she's planning on doing. I began to scramble up the tree.

"Rika! Don't move further up!" Mom called out sternly.

"Don't make me come down then!" I called back, slightly panicked. I wasn't sure why I wanted to stay up in the tree. I just didn't want to go inside, where it was stuffy and full of people and warm.

She sighed. "I won't then. Just please explain to me why you're doing this."

"I don't want to," I replied. "You'll say 'Told you so,' and you'll just rub it in my face."

"I promise I won't then."

"No." I shook my head stubbornly.

She sighed then nodded to the Squad members. They began to move towards the tree.

"Ah! Mom! You promised!" I grabbed the nearest branch and hauled myself up, abandoning my school materials on the lower branch.

"Oh calm down," she scolded, as she was lifted up to the lowest branch.

"What are you doing?" I asked, halting my climb upwards. I watched as she carefully climbed onto the second branch.

"Oh these darn shoes," she muttered before kicking them off. They landed on the grass.

"Uh, Mom?"

"Come down here and make this easier for me," she said. I did, and we met somewhere in the middle.

"This better not be a trap," I said.

"That's absurd, Rika," she replied, settling down on a branch opposite me. "Now tell me what's wrong."

I shook my head, staring at my dangling feet. "Nothing."

"Well something must have happened for you to have the sudden urge to climb a tree and not eat dinner. Do you not like the food? Should I hire another chef? Your hair's getting too long. I'll call the family hairstylist in on Friday, okay?"

"Sure," I said. "It's not the food." I sighed.

"Tell me Rika. I might be able to help."

Help? Help put me and Mitsukuni together? Yeah right. She'd rather we be apart and- I gasped at the sudden revelation. "You're the one behind this!" I yelled, jabbing an accusing finger in her face. She flinched before her eyes hardened and a frown appeared. "You said something to Mitsukuni, didn't you? You made him break up with me just so that I'll agree to marry that stupid Funaki!"

"What are you saying?" she said.

"You must be behind this," I said.

"Honey-kun broke up with you?" she asked. Her eyes narrowed. "What happened, Rika? I won't understand until you tell me the full story."

Oh play innocent. Ha. I already know you did it. So I told her the full story, of course obliterating the part where I visited the gang. I made sure I told her how miserable I'd been and how miserable I was now.

"Now undo it!" I said.

"I didn't do this Rika," she replied, crossing her arms.

"Why wouldn't you?" I asked. "You don't want me and Mitsukuni to be together. So why wouldn't you?"

"I wouldn't go about it in such a manner," she said. "I'd do it in a more subtle fashion. Make it seem natural. And I'd rather break you two up in a way that will leave you happy. I am not out to make you miserable, Rika. I'm just trying to get you the best."

"Well Mitsukuni is the best!"

"That's not the-" She sighed, shaking her head. Then she rubbed her temple. "Oh dear. Okay. So the problem is that you were dumped and you're upset because of that. Oh this is why I didn't approve of the relationship in the first place. Things like this are going to happen, Rika. You're only seventeen. Feelings aren't perman-"

"You're rubbing it in my face Mom." I scowled, as some invisible force wrung my heart. "This isn't helping."

"Alright." She began to lower herself down.

"That's it?" I said.

"Yes," she replied while the Squad members scrambled to help her down. "You aren't going to come down, Rika?"

"No."

"All night long?" she asked.

"I don't know. Probably."

"Okay. Get a trampoline here, under where Rika is!" Mom called to the Members. "And blankets! Now!"

I caught the blankets that were thrown up to me and stared down at the trampoline waiting to catch me if I fell. It wasn't like I was intending to go to sleep anyway. So I just curled up on a tree branch, a blanket wrapped around me, and stared at the bright moon and the faded stars.

Why did this have to happen this week anyhow? Is this some sadistic birthday present for me?

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Honey had heard some noise coming from Rika's house, and when he looked out the window, he could see a small form on the nearby tree. Rika's maid was yelling up to that form, and he quickly figured out that it was Rika up there.

_What am I doing?_ he thought, turning away. It wasn't his business anymore. He shouldn't worry about her anymore. He had nothing to do with her now. So of course he was surprised when the butler came to his bedroom, saying that there was a call coming from the Hayashi residence.

_What if it's Rika? I don't want to talk to her. _But he felt he needed to at least find out who was calling.

"Hello, is this Haninozuka Mitsukuni?"

It was most definitely not Rika.

"Yes," he replied. "Who is this?"

"It's Rika's mother."

_Oh. _

"I'm calling because I just found out what happened to my daughter."

_Oh no._

"Now, I am not asking you to fix things up with her. I am asking for a reason. Why did you break up with Rika? She told me it was because you like someone else now. Is that true? Haninozuka Yorihisa's son is a cheater?"

"I-I'm not a cheater!" he said out of defense.

"Really? Then why were you caught kissing a different girl before you broke up with Rika? If these events are in any way incorrect, then please, correct me."

"No… They're correct."

"So then, you are a cheater. Perhaps I'll ask your father what he thinks of that."  
>"Please don't!" He cringed at the thought. No one but Kyoya, Rika, and Aya knew what had happened. Well, now Rika's mom knew. It'd be bad if the news went out. It could destroy the Haninozuka family's image. "Please don't."<p>

"Then explain to me why you did this," Rika's mom said calmly. "A good, solid explanation."

"Cause I like A-Aya," Honey replied.

"A-Aya huh?" she mimicked his stammering. "What's her last name?"

"Hayakawa."

"Hayakawa Ayako? Oh my. I suppose I can see why you'd pick her. Her family is certainly an excellent one. So you like her. Then why didn't you break up with Rika before kissing this Hayakawa?"

"Cause… I couldn't…"

"Couldn't what?"

"Re-Resist…" Honey blushed. He couldn't believe he was saying this to Rika's mother of all people.

"Resist. Resist kissing Hayakawa? I see, so you are now not only a cheater but also a desire-driven boy. I suppose that's understandable. You're a teenage boy after all. There are some things you just can't control, right?"

"Ye-Yes."

"Stop stammering." She sighed. "I guess my impression of you was wrong then. Don't worry about Rika, Honey-kun. She'll be a very happy girl with Minoru-kun."

_Minoru… Funaki Minoru?_

"No!"

_Uh-oh._ Honey clamped a hand over his mouth. _Oh no. _

"No?" Mrs. Hayashi said. "Now why would you say that, Honey-kun?"

"No, I-I didn't mean it to you, uh, someone almost ate my cake," he said, scrambling to create a lie.

"Now who would want to eat your cake?" she asked. "You with your fame for your love of cake?"

"Uh. Um."

"Stop lying to me. I want the truth this time, Honey-kun. _Why _did you break up with Rika?"

_Rika's mom is so scary…_ _Uwaa. How did she know I was lying? What should I do now?_

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Honey stood. "Um, Hayashi-san, I have to go n-"

"Don't you dare!"

He froze.

"If you dare hang up, I will personally go over to speak to you. And you will not lie to me. You can _not_ lie to me face-to-face. Do you hear me?"

"Yes," he squeaked. The door opened and Mori entered. "Um, then, can you wait a moment?"

"I'm giving you one minute."

_Scary!_

"What is it, Takashi?" Honey asked, lowering the phone.

"Are you alright?" Mori asked in reply. His cousin was paler than usual and there were visible signs of exhaustion. Honey's eyes had bags under them, and he was slouching slightly.

He nodded. "I'm fine. I have to go back to the call." Mori nodded in understanding. "Um, Hayashi-san."

"Oh good," she said. "Now, tell me the truth. Or I am speaking to your father without any restraints."

"But-"

"If you want, I won't tell Rika. But I hope you know that she is curled up in a tree this moment refusing to eat dinner and red-eyed and tired because of you."

Honey swallowed as that guilt and pain struck him again. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me," Mrs. Hayashi snapped. "Tell me now."

"Um. But. Uh."

"Tell me. Please."

"Um. Well, recently, there's this rumor that's been going on-"

She sighed. "Oh dear. Continue please."

"The rumor is that-that, um, that I'm actually a kidnapping target. And the reason why Rika's been kidnapped twice is because of me. That they're trying to get me by getting Rika. And-And I thought if we broke up, she wouldn't be in danger anymore. The kidnappers would stop targeting her, right? She'll be safe right?"

"Oh my goodness gracious." She sighed, a heavy one filled with relief and exhaustion. "So you still like Rika?"

"Yes." He blushed.

"Well this is easier to solve than I thought before," she replied. "Good. Now then, allow me to tell you why this silly rumor is false and absolutely ridiculous."

"Uh, okay…"

"First of all, if these kidnappers were targeting you, why would they go after Rika? They should know that Rika is protected by a powerful and wealthy family. If they really wanted to get a hostage to get you, why wouldn't they target someone like Fujioka Haruhi instead? She's neither from a wealthy family nor does she have any martial arts background."

Wow. Rika's mom had done some studying it seemed.

"Whereas Rika knows martial arts and could fight off kidnappers far better than Fujioka-san could. And if Fujioka-san was kidnapped, you'd rush to her aid too, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah," Honey agreed.

"Exactly. Second, the very first kidnapping had been attempted by two people dressed as Hayashi servants. That means those kidnappers were trying to get Rika and only her. Again, if they were trying to get you, why would they target her? Third of all, I have been doing extensive research on these kidnappings, and if this rumor was true - or even close to true, don't you think I would have picked up on it? Instead of it just running through a high school?"

She had her point.

"Not to mention, Rika was saved from both of these kidnappings thanks to you. Now if you were gone, what would she do?"

"You have the Black Garlic Squad," he replied quietly.

"That doesn't matter," she said quickly. "Do you agree with what I said? Do you believe that the rumor is true now?"

"Well… It-It is a bit…"

"It's a rumor for a reason, Honey-kun. Besides, the fact that Rika hasn't heard of this must mean something right? Perhaps someone is trying to make you think that that rumor is true while keeping it away from Rika." She trailed off quietly. "Well, regardless, I hope that when Rika returns home tomorrow, she will be a happy eighteen-year-old birthday girl. Good night."

"Good night."

Honey stared out the window for a while before finally setting the phone down on the receiver.

"What happened?" Mori asked, waiting patiently beside Honey's desk.

Honey turned to his cousin. "Takashi, do you think I made the wrong choice?" So he finally explained to Mori what had happened. What'd he done. When he was finished, Mori was silent.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he said quietly.

"I'm sorry!" Honey said. "You think I made a mistake too, right? That I was an idiot right? If I'd told you, you would have told me to not do it right? But I-"

He started to cry, and he rushed into Mori's arms for a hug.

"What am I going to do?" Honey wailed. "She said she hates me! She hates me!"

"It'll be okay," Mori replied reassuringly. "Just tell it to her properly. She'll understand."

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

I was being suffocated, crushed under this heavy, hot source. I couldn't breath. I was alone in this endless darkness with nothing but that overwhelming pressure, threatening for me to cave and collapse. And no one was going to help me.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm, tucked neatly under three layers of blankets and sweating profusely.

"Good morning Rika-sama," Azumi said, entering my bedroom as I sat up.

"Why are there so many damn blankets?" I yelled, kicking at the bulky weight on top of me. "No wonder I felt like I was dying."

She smiled. "Your mother was worried you got too cold last night, so she insisted on several layers of blankets."

"It's too much!" I climbed off the bed. Here comes another agonizing day.

I refused to look at Mitsukuni for the first class, even when he came in and glanced at me. It even looked like he was trying to smile at me.

"Um, Rika," he said when class ended.

I stood up abruptly and stormed out of the classroom.

"Hey, wait!"

Ha. Get a taste of your own medicine! I sped down the hallways towards my next class. Then I turned down a different hall, away from the usual direction.

"Rika!" He continued to chase me.

We ran several circles before arriving at the classroom just before the bell rang, out of breath.

"Rika." Mitsukuni reached a hand out for me, but I jerked away. What did he want? Why did he want to talk to me now? Well whatever. Screw him. He can go and hang out with his new girlfriend.

The moment the bell rang, I was out of the classroom. And yet again, he sprinted after me. It was really quite crazy. The two of us just running down the halls. He kept yelling my name, and every time my heart clenched and tightened and it became hard to breathe. We once again got to our class within seconds of the bell, both panting.

I sighed, slumping in my seat. What the hell was going on? Well I'll avoid him as best as I can. After all the ignoring he did to me yesterday, I'll just ignore him back. See how he feels about that. The next two classes, however, he didn't chase me. Which was good, because I really didn't want to keep running around the school. It was tiring you know.

During lunch, I dropped by the Host Club's lunch table out of sheer necessity. I tried not to glance at Mitsukuni, who sat silently eating his cake.

"Hi Rika-chan!" Tamaki said excitedly. He was sitting across from the twins with broken pieces of pocky scattered on the table in front of them.

"Hi. What are you guys doing?" I asked, as I handed Haruhi the novel she'd wanted to borrow from me.

"Playing pocky games!" he replied. His eyes sparkled in delight.

"Pocky games?" I said, raising my eyebrows at the sight.

"Yeah! Haven't you heard of the commoners' pocky games?" Tamaki asked me. Hikaru leaned over and dropped some crushed pocky on the table.

"I've heard of _the _pocky game, not pocky games," I replied. "What are you guys trying to do?" I stepped closer to get a better look.

"I win Tono!" Hikaru leaned back with a grin. "Three in a row!"

"What?" Tamaki slammed his fists on the table. "How did this happen? I demand a rematch!"  
>They were playing tic-tac-toe, with pocky. They'd snapped two pocky sticks in two-thirds to make the grids, then they used crumbs as circles, I think, and small pocky quarters to form Xs. "That is so not the pocky game," I said.<p>

"That's what I told them," Haruhi muttered.

"Why didn't you ask Haruhi?"

Tamaki whirled towards us. "The game Haruhi told us is too vile to be true!"

"It's the game though," I replied slowly.

"But-But-" His eyes widened in disbelief.

"You should try playing it, Rika-senpai!" the twins said in unison. "Give us an example, or we won't know how to play it!"

Haha. Are they idiots or something?  
>"Why don't you try it with Honey-senpai?" Hikaru asked with a smirk.<p>

I glanced at Mitsukuni then shook my head. "No. We're not…"

It fell silent, thick and uncomfortable.

"How about Tamaki and Kyoya?" I asked with a grin. Kyoya glared up at me from his laptop, then began mashing the keyboard angrily.

"Absolutely not," he said.

"Aw, come on." I grabbed the pocky box off the table. He just shook his head. Yeah, I'd get murdered just trying.

"I want to try playing it!" Tamaki said, waving his hand eagerly in the air.

"Then…" I glanced around the table. "Why don't you try it with Haruhi?" I smirked, pushing said girl towards Tamaki. I grabbed a pocky stick from the box and stuck it in Haruhi's mouth.

"Hey, wait," Haruhi tried to say, but Tamaki had already taken a bite off the pocky.

"Yummy!" He grinned, leaning away.

…

"Tamaki, do you know what this game is?" I asked.

"No." He gave me his innocent look.

"Eat the pocky!" I pointed. "And keep eating it!"  
>"Okay…" He began to munch on the pocky, slowly inching closer towards Haruhi.<p>

"Hey!" The twins began to protest as Tamaki and Haruhi began blushing. Haruhi wasn't even moving, but she was staring straight into Tamaki's eyes. They were an inch or so away before they broke apart, both completely red in the face.

"Wh-What is this game?!" Tamaki wailed.

I smirked. They were so cute. "That's how the game works though."

"We want to try too!" the twins said, holding their hands up. "Come on Haruhi!"

"Nooo." She shook her head while making a cute, stubborn face.

I smiled, genuinely this time. "Well, I'll be going then." They said their goodbyes and I headed off to get some books from the library.

It was a good thing I didn't share my last two classes with Mitsukuni. It made avoiding him so much easier. But I couldn't help but wonder why he'd been so adamant about speaking to me today, at least in the first two classes.

As the final bell rang and class was dismissed, I began making my way towards the Chess Club. I'd already skipped two days, and skipping another probably wouldn't help my situation. Minoru seemed to still be pissed at me, which I really didn't mind. But I felt I owed it to my mom…

Unless she is behind Mitsukuni's strange happenings…

I turned away from my path. Let's just go home instead.

"Rika-san, wait."

Oh great. I glared at Minoru who approached me. "What do you want? Weren't you mad at me just a few days ago?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't that mad actually. Just annoyed. And, I just wanted to say…" He rubbed the back of his neck in an embarrassed way as he stared down at my feet. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks." I forced a smile out of politeness. "You'll be at the party this weekend?"

"Of course." He smiled back. "And, do you want to go to the zoo some other time?"

I sighed. It wasn't like there was anything else to do. "Su-"

"Rika!" Mitsukuni came barrelling down the hall.

Oh shit. "Later!" I yelled behind my shoulder as I began running away.

"Wait!" Mitsukuni shouted. I dashed quickly around the corner when I spotted Takashi walking in my direction.

"Good timing, Takashi!" I said, as I neared him. "Stop Mitsukuni! He's gone crazy!" I was interrupted when he scooped me up and then promptly threw me into an empty classroom.

"Huh? What the hell Takashi?" I was too shocked to move. Then I began heading towards the open door. Mitsukuni came skidding in, shutting the door behind him with a determined look. My eyes narrowed and I shifted into a defensive position.

"I-I just want to talk to you!" he said, maintaining that persistent manner.

"Well _I_ just wanted to talk to you too! _Yesterday,_" I snapped back. "And what did I get? One stupid line! And being ignored! Do you-"

His face began to contort in pain and his bottom lip quivered. Within seconds, he was bawling. I felt like we were standing in the kitchen again, a smashed cake between us. And I could do nothing to comfort him because I was in pain myself.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Hearing him cry made me want to cry.

"Oh what the hell!" I screamed, fighting back against the tears. "Why are you the one that's crying, huh? I don't see you getting dumped-"

The miserable look on his face shut me up. He looked so guilty and depressed. I noticed the slight hunch in his shoulders. The way he looked much older than he usually did.

"Mi-Mitsu-" I couldn't help the stream that came again. And the two of us stood there, both crying. It felt like the distance between us had grown in a matter of days.

But after a few minutes, he stopped and just stared at me, making me extremely self-conscious and uncomfortable with the fact that the tears wouldn't stop.

"Wh-Wh-What?" I managed to gasp out, trying to stop the waterworks.

"I'm sorry," he said in a quiet, gloomy voice. He shook his head. "I'm so so so sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He stared at his feet and kept repeating those two words. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, and I could tell he was trying hard not to cry too.

I hiccuped and wiped the last of the tears away. "What does it mean?" My nose was stuffed and I pulled out my handkerchief. "So you apologize, but what does it mean?"

"I-I'm sorry!" he said again.

"Stop it," I muttered. "Just explain."

He took in a breath. "I-It wasn't real."

"What wasn't?" My eyes narrowed. "You better have a really good excuse."

He nodded, swallowed, and proceeded to tell me about the rumor. And how he thought if the two of us broke up, then maybe the kidnappings would stop happening.

My mouth dropped open when he finished. "That's it?" He nodded again. "Oh my God, you _are_ an idiot!"  
>He stared at me, wide-eyed, and then nodded.<p>

"But then, what made you change your mind?" I asked, rather curious. I didn't want to think about what was going to happen next. Whether or not we were going to get back together. And what about Hayakawa?

"Your mom called me last night," he replied quietly. "And-And she got the truth out of me, and then she explained to me why the rumor isn't true."

Wait. This could still be a ploy by Mom. Make it seem like it's thanks to her that Mitsukuni came back to me. But no, why would Mitsukuni ever agree to that? What if Mom was the one who was spreading the rumor? That could be pos-

"Rika." His voice cut through my thoughts "If-If you want, you can hit me!" Then he squeezed his eyes shut, as if he was prepared for me to slap or punch him. Hit him? As if I could do that. I'm sure if Akane or Ryota were here, they wouldn't think twice about it.

I shook my head. "No. I don't - I don't want to hit you, Mitsukuni."

He glanced up at me. "Are you sure? Cause-"

"How'd you get Hayakawa to help you? Or did you just kiss her right there? You planned it didn't you? You don't really like her do you?" All the questions I had tumbled out in a rush.

"Uh, uh, no I don't really like her. And yes, I asked her to help me. And I did plan it. I thought if you saw the two of us kissing, then I might not have to explain it that much to you. Because, I don't think I could have just broken up with you. It-It would have been too hard."

"So…" I took a moment to process it all. "What does it mean?"

"Huh?" He sneaked a glanced at me before returning his gaze to the floor. "Um. Well. If-If you want to, then we can get back together."

I swallowed.

"Of course I want to get back together," I mumbled.

His eyes widened, in hope, in joy. "Really?"

I nodded, inching closer towards him. "But…"

"What?" That spark in his eyes dimmed in worry.

"But…" I finally stood in front of him a distance that was normal before all this had happened. Then I let my head drop against his chest. How could I tell him what I was thinking? It was like a wall had come up between the two of us and I wanted it down. I wanted things to go back the way they were, but…

Mitsukuni was very still, as if he was afraid that if he twitched, he'd scare me off.

"Hug me, you idiot," I whispered. I wasn't even sure if he heard it. But he might have because I felt his arms come up around me, warm and gentle. But they were careful, again, as if scared he might hurt me.

"I'm not as fragile as you think I am," I said in a slightly louder voice. "Kidnappers... Even if they were because of you, I'd gladly take them on. Do you know how-" My voice cracked, and I had to clear my throat. "Do you know how much it sucked? How much it - I hated it when you ignored me. It sucked so much."

He pulled me closer, and it felt like he became more comfortable. "I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear.

"You better not do something stupid like this again," I said. "If you do, I really will hit you."

"Okay. I promise."

"And, you know, instead of just always smiling all the time, you could tell me what's on your mind. Like, if you'd told me about this rumor, I would have told you I didn't care about it. And none of this would have happened right?"  
>"Yeah."<p>

"And." I had to take a breath before I could tell him this. "Please give me some time. I just need a bit of time. And space." Oh geez, I feel like some girl in a drama now. Time and space? Ughh.

He let me go and then nodded. "Okay. Of course."

"So. We're good?" I wasn't entirely sure what had happened. "What are you going to tell Hayakawa?"

"Huh? It's not like we were dating," he said, looking a bit surprised. "I asked her to not tell you anything."

"Well she kept her word," I replied as I grabbed my school bag that had been tossed aside. I headed towards the door. "I'll see you then, Mitsukuni."

"Ah, wait!"

I glanced back.

"Um, happy birthday!" He looked strangely flustered, and it was a cute sight. I couldn't help the smile from forming.

"Thanks Mitsukuni."

* * *

><p><strong>Phew. The angst arc is (almost) over! :D Next chapter has more fluff in it, but I'll probably upload it next next week. Again, any OOC-ness please point it out. Mori is hard to write. The Pocky game part was inspired by <em>candymoon2315. ^-^<em>  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	55. Cake makes everything better!

**Hi everyone! Super belated Happy Halloween! This chapter is a bit Halloween-y that's why. ^-^**

**AnimeBestie:** Your anime list grew reeeeally quickly lol. Did you like Gakuen Alice? I don't really have any anime suggestions. Oh but did you like Skip Beat? :) Thanks for reviewing!

**AquilonIII: **It's okay if you forget to review. XD Thank you for the lovely review! I'm glad you liked it. Lol the pocky game...

**The-Last-Fire-Twin**:

**AwakenedSecrets: **Lol thank you for that. Mitsukuni as a boyfriend is a bit strange huh? By the way did you read the Ouran manga? And I'm not sure when the gang will be reappearing again, but I'm thinking of writing extra stories centered on the OCs, except it'll be on FictionPress. What do you think? And thanks for reviewing! You're the sweetest and the best! :D

**candymoon2315:** Honey rolling across the floor in barrel form. XD Haha great. Marshmallow gun! Yay! You have pretty random reviews... Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)

**Lala: **Lol everyone loves the pocky game! :D Yeah, TamaHaru all the way! Thank you for the review!

**hotbibl: **Lol, thank you! XD

**PhoenixOtaku: **Thank you lots and lots! ^-^ I hope you'll like this fluff chapter!

**its bookslover: **Wow your multiple personalities can dance? Cool. Thank you for reviewing! :)

**Strawberry Neko: **I know right? It's a stupid reason right? Well mainly it was a really cliche reason haha. It's my fault, don't blame Honey. Wow how did you dress up as a paintbrush? Did you get lots of candy? Was the weather good? Thank you for the review! :D

**kyoya3guest: **Haha nobody guessed the real reason why. ^-^ Honey just asked Aya to help him in his little scheme. They weren't actually going to date. Does that clear things up? Thank you for reviewing!

**Hime1234: **Phew, glad you thought it makes sense. :) I hope you'll like this chapter then! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**DearChibico: **Lol how does a chapter taste like applesauce? That's a good thing right? Thanks for the interesting review! :D

**KamehameGadoken: **Hehe yeah that mom... Awesome name by the way. ^-^ Thanks for reviewing!

**Anatolie: **I think we're all glad the arc is over lol. Of course Usa-chan can drink tea! :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

"How did it go?" Mori asked Honey.

He shrugged. "I-I don't know. Good, I guess? She did say she wants to get back together." He faked a smile. He was a bit worried, though. How much time did she want? And how much time could he give?

It turned out that he didn't have to wait long, because his doorbell rang late in the evening that same day. He was told it was Rika who asked that he just come to the door.

"Um," she said when she saw him. "I-I just came to tell you one thing."

"Do you want to come in?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. It's okay." She forced a smile, and he could see right through it.

"I have cake though," he said. "Good cake. Chocolate mint cake." Her eyes lit up just slightly, and he knew he got her. He smiled. "From a special baker."

Her mouth opened and shut. Then she said, "It-It-"

He grabbed her wrist and began dragging her in. "Come on! I'm sure you'll like it."

"Ah. Um. Okay."

As they walked, he worried if he was being too pushy. What if she didn't even like the cake? And what if she noticed that he wasn't holding her hand but her wrist? What if she-

They arrived at the kitchen, where the half-eaten cake remained. A maid quickly brought over an extra plate and fork, and he cut her a slice.

"Try it." He managed to grin.

Rika glanced at him and nodded, then took a bite. It was delicious. Just the right amount of minty freshness to balance the sweetness of the chocolate. "Mmm. It's good." The cake made her feel a bit better, and the conversation she just had with Akane helped too. Maybe she could tell him. No. She had to tell him, or they'd never get over this hurdle.

"You like it?" he asked.

"Yeah!" She managed to smile. "I love mint. And it kind of reminds me of mint chocolate chip ice cream."

"Yeah. It does." He smiled. It almost looked genuine.

They ate silently, both brooding over their own thoughts and worries. She waited until she was done with her slice, savoring every bite and stalling. When she set her fork down, she began to gather up her courage. "Um, Mitsukuni."

He glanced up, realizing that she wanted to say something serious, and set his own fork down. "Yeah?"

"Um, okay, I was advised that I should tell you this," Rika said, adjusting her shirt. "And, uh, well." She swallowed and kept her gaze down. She just couldn't bring herself to meet Honey's bright, brown eyes. "Whenever I see you, I just see, like, this image of you and-and Hayakawa. And it's unpleasant and it ruins everything but the image won't go away. So-" She looked up at him. "So, I think, if I can somehow get rid of the image, then things will be fixed. But I don't know how to get rid of it, so."

Honey nodded slowly. Then he stood. "Can I try something to change that?"

She stood too, suddenly feeling anxious. "Okay."

"Come on." He exited the kitchen and as they turned through the halls, she had a hunch as to where they were going. And she was right when he led her to his bedroom. He shut the door behind her, then he picked a box up off his desk.

He held up a pocky stick with an uncertain smile. "Let's try playing the pocky game!"

"Uh, sure."

The two stood facing each other. As Honey stepped closer and closer towards Rika, she became aware of her pounding heartbeat. And that nervousness that made her want to run away. It was the giddy kind of nervousness that you feel when you're talking to your crush. She hadn't felt this sensation in a long time. The butterflies were dancing again.

"Chocolate?" he asked. She nodded and took a bite of the pocky. The bittersweet chocolate and the crunchy biscuit all melted in her mouth as the two edged closer and closer, nibbling.

_Uwaa!_ She squeezed her eyes shut, already blushing even before their lips met.

Then the chocolate was gone and they were just kissing. She could still taste the remains of the pocky and that sweet taste of Honey. It didn't take long before that blazing fire ignited inside of her. His hands wrapped around her waist, kissing her with a fervor like never before. And she pulled at him, trying to bring him closer. She wanted to erase every trace of Hayakawa that might still be on him. And to make Honey hers and hers only.

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

Friday. It seemed Mitsukuni's plan had worked, because whenever I saw him, I just remembered yesterday. And then my face would turn red hot and I'd look away. He giggled, probably amused by my reaction. But gosh. It is a bit embarrassing you know?

We didn't talk much, just passing greetings. It felt like things were better though.

Mom had an official birthday party planned on Saturday. It was more a business party than anything. Since I was turning eighteen, there'd be a much larger turnout than last year. Families and businesses who wanted to work with me in the future had to show up if they wanted to make an impression. After all, once I graduated high school, I'd be playing an increasingly larger role in the family business.

Dad returned Friday night, along with the family hairstylist. She fixed my bangs, returning them to their fringe ways, and trimmed my hair. I spent Friday practicing the speech I'd be giving at the party. I didn't even write it and it hardly conveyed my real feelings, but nobody cared about that.

Mom had picked out the dress. The top was quite plain, a rosy red and sleeveless. The skirt part was puffy, frilly, and fell right above my knees. As I changed into the silky dress, I realized that Mitsukuni was going to be there too. We hadn't really had a serious conversation since Thursday.

Wait… Is he going to give me a birthday present? I sat down as my hair was brushed and sprayed with something. Well, even if he didn't prepare anything himself, I'll still get something from his family. But no, I want something from him personally. But will he have prepared anything? We weren't exactly together when my birthday passed. Actually, I never even told him my birthday. But he still knew about it. How did he know? Did Kyoya tell him?

"All done, Rika-chan! Do you want any accessories in your hair?" our hairstylist, Nakayama, asked. She was more a friend of the family than a servant. Apparently she'd been good friends with Aunt Setsuko in college, and she had a successful beauty parlor.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair had gone from straight to wavy, curling slightly inwards. Hm. I look pretty cute. I smiled and I looked better than I had just a few days ago.

"I have one." I stood up and went to my desk drawer, where I'd tucked Mitsukuni's rose in. I hadn't wanted to throw it away in the hopes that we'd get back together. It was a wise move.

"Don't use that, Rika," Mom said, entering my bedroom. "It's so cheap-looking."

"But I like it," I replied.

"It'd match her dress, Sayoko-san."

"Yeah." I nodded vigorously. "Besides, I didn't pick the cake, the dress, or the speech. So I can at least pick this kind of thing out right?" I waved the rose hairclip in her face.

She sighed. "Oh alright."

I smiled as Nakayama clipped the rose in. It didn't really have any practical use now that my bangs weren't getting in the way anymore. But whatever, it really did match the dress well.

"Before the doors open, Rika," Mom said quietly, as we stood awaiting the guests. "Minoru-kun will be staying by your side for the majority of this party. And you _will_ be kind and courteous to him." She stared at me. "Keep in mind that you are representing the future of Hayashi Sweets and our family."

Oh great. My birthday party and I have to spend it all with some dude I don't even like. I sighed as the doors opened and families and important business partners began trickling in. I smiled and greeted everyone that came. People mingled and talked, enjoying the food and drinks.

Minoru was one of the earlier guests and he was very polite. His dad was a different story though, saying right off the bat that Minoru and I should marry once we graduated from high school. Who the hell wants to be married at age eighteen? This is the 21st century! We're not in the nineteen hundreds anymore.

"I understand Izanagi-san," Mom replied with a calm smile. "However, I believe we should wait until the children are ready."

I nodded, but Minoru barely even twitched.

"Well my Minoru is ready," Mr. Funaki said. "And your daughter should be too."

Mom opened her mouth to reply when the door opened and the Haninozuka family streamed in.

"Happy birthday, Rika-chan!" Haninozuka Yorihisa said with a warm smile. "It's good to see you again, Sayoko-san, Izanagi-san." The adults exchanged brief nods and half-bows.

"Hey Rika!" Mitsukuni grinned, looking rather excited. Takashi nodded.

I smiled. "Hi."

"Happy birthday Rika-nee!" Satoshi pushed past his cousin and older brother.

"Happy birthday," Chika said.

"Thanks." My smile brightened.

Minoru drifted over to us, leaving the discussion to the adults. "Rika-san, do you want to go to the zoo next week?"

"Eh?" I glanced at Mitsukuni whose smile had fallen. He grabbed my arm and pulled me over. "What?"

"Please don't," he whispered into my ear. And then gave me a small smile.

"Um." I turned back towards Minoru. "It's going to be December by next week, and it's going to be cold. So maybe not."

"Then how about the aquarium? It's inside," he replied, while shooting a glare at Mitsukuni.

I shook my head, smiling politely. "It's fine, Funaki-san. You don't have to push yourself."

"Push myself? I'm not- What are you talking about?" he asked. His eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you still upset at me from last week?" I said with an innocent expression.

"I'm not upset." He frowned. "I never was."

"Rika-senpai!" Someone slammed into me from the side, arms wrapping around me quickly. "Happy happy birthday!" Chiyo squeezed me tightly.

"Uh, th-thanks," I gasped out. She released me and I staggered, using Mitsukuni to balance myself. "You're a lot of energy today."

She beamed. "Yup!" Then she held up a box. "Check out my gift!"

"Chiyo, stop being a fool and give that box to the servants," a sharp voice cut through as Mr. Minami came into view. Her smile wavered but then she nodded and headed off.

"I'll be back, senpai!" She grinned.

"Okay."

"I apologize, Oshiro-san," Mr. Minami said with a surprisingly deep bow at Mom. "My daughter's behavior is quite unacceptable."

"Oh no." Mom shook her head all the while maintaining that impeccable smile of hers. "I find your daughter to be quite fun and amusing." She glanced over at me. "Besides, it was thanks to your daughter that my daughter was saved from a kidnapping."

"Ah, yes." Mr. Minami seemed to straighten and even a trace of a smile appeared.

"Oh, Sayoko-san," Mrs. Minami stepped over, and I thought she elbowed her husband out of the way. "It's good to see you."

Mom's smile brightened, which meant she was not as happy. "The pleasure's mine." Ugh. I don't even want to know what dark and twisted history they have between them.

"Rika-chan!" Tamaki pranced in with a bright beam. He did some sort of twirl. "Happy birthday!" Haruhi came beside him. I had Mom send an invitation to her too. She smiled, dressed as a girl today with a wig, in a cute light blue dress. Must have been the twins' doing. The rest of the Host Club arrived with their families, all dressed in their best outfits.

After some more mingling, my parents gave a speech. Then I gave my speech. It went well, I suppose. Then the cake was wheeled out and cut. It was a three-layered, vanilla cake, delicious and creamy but not too sweet.

"The cake's really good, Rika!" Mitsukuni came over to tell me that.

"Of course it's good," Minoru replied. He really was staying by my side, but at least he was pretty quiet. "It was baked by the best Hayashi bakers."

Mitsukuni's eyes widened slightly in innocent surprise. "Really? But I still think Rika's cakes are better. Have you ever had Rika's cakes before?" he asked lightly.

A flicker of annoyance dashed across Minoru's face. Then he frowned and glared at me. Oh come on, it's not my fault. I don't want to bake a cake for you.

"He hasn't," I replied for him when he remained silent. He glowered at me some more. "Stop that, Funaki."

"Well then perhaps you should bake something for me," he said.

"No thanks," I said. I caught Mitsukuni's gaze and he waved me over. "What?"

"Do you wanna come over tomorrow to watch a movie?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure." I smiled. "What kind of movie?"

"Any kind. Whatever you want," he replied with a grin.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>I started going through the massive pile of gifts Sunday morning. I hadn't set up any time for movie watching with Mitsukuni, so I figured sometime in the evening or afternoon would be fine.<p>

"You got a ton of stuff, Rika," Kimiko said, walking through the living room with her coat on.

I looked up from unwrapping another gift from some boring politician. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I have work." She smiled. "See you."

I sighed, leaning back into the couch. "Azumi! Can you help unwrap all these gifts?!" The said maid hurried over with a light frown.

"You want me to open your gifts?"

"There's too many of them," I replied. I began digging through the stack. There were only a few gifts I cared about. "And I hardly remember half the people who gave me these things. Do you know where the Haninozukas's gift is?"

Her frown deepened. "Rika-sama, you should hold all gifts with equal value."

"But I don't care about this…" I glanced at the name on the wrapper. "Fukui-san. What business could I ever do with him anyway? And I doubt remembering what he gave me on my eighteenth birthday will do anything."

Azumi sighed, moving closer to my side. "Fukui-san is a highly respected politician."

"A local politician," I mumbled. I went back to splitting the pile into people-I-know and people-I-don't-know. "Oh. The Minamis."

I tore the wrapping off and found a box with three pairs of diamond earrings. Wow. My ears had been pierced when I was young, and I only occasionally wore earrings for formal events. But these were so pretty, it made me want to put them on immediately. So that's what I did.

Dad skipped over with a grin. "How's it going, Rika?"

"Alright. Do you want to help me open these gifts?" I asked.

He looked at the mess of wrapping paper surrounding me. Azumi scrambled to pick up the paper and clean the place up. "Not right now. I'm leaving soon. What'd you get this year?"

I held the box up to him. "Earrings! And they're super cute too." I smiled. "Do you know where the Haninozukas's gift is?"

"Hm…" He peered at the pile. "I remember it was in a red bag."

"Okay!"

A few minutes later, I had several red bags in front of me. There was one from the Haninozuka family and another from Morinozuka. I opened the Morinozuka one first.

Dad chuckled at my enthusiasm. "You really like them, huh?"

"Yeah." I smiled as I pulled out a card. I usually didn't read the cards unless it was from someone I knew.

It was just some basic happy birthday wishes. Takashi's handwriting was nice and neat. Inside the bag was three brand new novels, two horror movies, some history supplementary text, and a bag of dark chocolate truffles.

Awesome.

I next tore into the Haninozuka gift. The card was neat and swirly and cute, with the whole family's signatures. There were three old classic novels I'd never read before, a baby chick stuffed animal, and an even smaller bag. I grinned. Yup, these are the best gifts ever!

"Another bag?" Dad watched as I dumped the contents of the second bag out. There was a black box, a note, and a box of strawberry pocky.

"What do you think it is Dad?" I asked, picking the black box up.

"A necklace? Maybe a bracelet?"

I pried the top off and found myself staring at a gorgeous red rose. I felt my breath catch, and I hastily snatched the note up.

"_Happy birthday Rika. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. And I hope you didn't throw the rose hairclip away. But in case you did, here's a better one. Love, Mitsukuni."_

Gosh, his handwriting is so cute. I couldn't help but squeal as I plucked the hairclip out. Then I slid it into my hair and grabbed a horror movie.

"I'll be back!"

"Where are you going?" Dad called after me as I wrenched the door open.

"Mitsukuni of course!" I replied, grinning.

I rocked on my heels after I rang the doorbell. It opened quickly enough and I dashed in. "Excuse my intrusion!" I kicked my shoes off, hastily setting them straight. "Where's-"

The butler pointed down the hall. "Kitchen."

"Thank you!" I ran down the halls to the kitchen, skidding to a halt in front of the informal dining table. I felt out of breath as I said, "Hi."

Mitsukuni's eyes were wide but he nodded. "Hi."

"Um." I fidgeted for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then I held the movie up. "Want to watch it?"

"Sure!" He got to his feet, leaving his desserts on the table. "Do you like horror movies?"

"Not really," I replied. I followed him down the hall and towards their mini movie theater. "I've only seen one at a sleepover. But, it's bright outside so it should be fine."

His grin seemed a bit nervous. "But Satoshi picked that movie out."

I glanced at the dark, grotesque cover. "Meaning?"

"It's probably really scary," he said with a grimace.

"He likes horror movies?" I asked. Mitsukuni nodded as we arrived. "Let's keep the lights on then."

Since it was a movie theater, there weren't any windows here. So we kept the door open and the lights on, as the movie began playing. I sat down next to Mitsukuni on the plush couch, pulling my knees to my chest.

I could almost feel the apprehension from Mitsukuni. "Oh right," I said quietly, as the main characters appeared on the screen. "You don't like horror movies do you?"

I glanced over and saw him shaking his head.

"Then should we watch something else?" I asked.

He shook his head again and made a brave face, smiling forcefully. "If you want to watch it, then we'll watch it."

"But I'm not a fan of horror either," I said.

"Then-Then why are we watching it?" he asked. It looked like he could sweatdrop.

I smirked. "Don't you know horror movies are the best for couples to watch? It's also the reason why couples go into haunted houses together."

"Ah…" He didn't seem to agree, but the bad guy had already appeared, decked in all his evil and creepy glory.

I felt myself tense up. Just why was I watching this? I sucked with horror movies and anything horror related. The only time I'd watched a horror movie was at a sleepover with the entire gang. And only Mina and Kenta enjoyed it. Ryota had to keep his tough guy act up, so he only squeaked every once in a while. It was cute. Akane ended up curled in a ball, and I later joined her. Mikiya was just as weak as the two of us. Tarou surprisingly endured it, while Rikuto jumped at everything.

I sighed. So far nothing too scary had happened. The bad guy got his weapon. The good guys found out that strange things were happening, like murders. There were a few jumps but nothing-

"Kyaaa!"

"Kyaaa!" Mitsukuni screamed.

"Kyaaa!" I screamed, grabbing Mitsukuni's arm even though I had no clue as to what had just happened.

When the moment had passed, I let out a sigh and then a giggle. "What the heck." We were about forty minutes in. I glanced at Mitsukuni, whose attention was completely captivated by the movie. What the heck. I'm holding his arm and he doesn't even notice.

I felt him jump, so I returned my attention to the movie. The bad guy was beginning to go all crazy. And when he started stalking the good guys, I scooted closer to Mitsukuni. Have I mentioned how creepy the bad guy looks? Cause he looks creepy. Disturbing. Nightmare-inducing.

I buried my face into my knees. Interestingly enough, Mitsukuni had his eyes glued to the movie the entire time. My heart was pounding, mixing in with the suspenseful music. Ugh. Why did I come up with this idea? Why did Satoshi give me this DVD? Why do horror movies even exist? Why do people enjoy this kind of stuff?

I sneaked a glance. The good guy was slowly turning around. Oh no. That is never a good idea. The bad guy's-

"Gahhh!"

"Gahhh!"

"Gahhh!" I freaked out, practically slamming myself into Mitsukuni. He grabbed me and we hugged each other tightly as the main character's brother or something began running like hell away from the bad guy.

"This is scary," I whispered.

"Yeah."

"Kyaa!"

Oh good idea, lead the bad guy to where you and the other people are hiding. All sorts of screaming started to occur and Mitsukuni and I only increased the volume.

"Turn it off! Turn it off!" I shrieked, as the two of us crawled towards the machine. I hit the stop button and collapsed on the fluffy carpet. "Oh no. I am so not doing that again. That was way too, waaay too scary."

Mitsukuni joined me, laying on his back. "Agreed."

I giggled. "That was a stupid idea."

"Yeah." He started to laugh and I joined in.

"Want to watch something else then?" I asked.

"Sure!" He sat up. He stared at my head as I rolled onto my stomach to press the eject button.

"What?"

"The rose looks good on you." He smiled.

I sat up next to him. "Thanks."

He leaned over slowly then he kissed me. I kissed him back just when footsteps pounded closer, and a voice loudly declared, "What are you guys watching?"

We broke apart, blushing madly and quickly diverting our attention to the newcomer. Satoshi stood at the doorway with a surprised look. Then he began walking backwards. "None of this ever happened. Please continue-"

"Satoshi, it's okay!" I said. "We-We were just going to watch a different movie."

His eyebrows rose up in disbelief. "Ah, no. I was just- I'll be leaving now." He closed the door quietly.

Uh. Um. Er. Uhhh…

"Let-Let's watch something Rika," Mitsukuni said, ears red.

"Yeah."

* * *

><p>I went home after the second movie to resume opening gifts. I managed to persuade Azumi and some other servants to help. But then, as darkness descended, so did thoughts of the horror movie.<p>

Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think-

_Thunk._

My gaze whipped over and I tensed, ready to scream and fight and run. But it was just a badly placed book that had fallen from the shelf. Calm down. It just fell. There aren't any ghosts here. Or serial killers out to get me. I'm more valuable alive than dead anyway.

Shit that didn't help!

I hurried into my bathroom to take a shower. If I just didn't think about it, if I just kept my hyperactive imagination in check, I would be just fine.

But it really wasn't that easy. After I turned the lights off and crawled into bed, I lay there, listening to the sounds of the night. Soft footsteps of servants. The wind rustling tree branches and leaves. Then the silence that told me everyone was asleep. I could just vaguely see the shapes of furniture in my room. It felt like the shadows were mixing together to form the face of that murderer in the horror movie.

Ah! I squeezed my eyes shut, huddling further under the blankets. But then I could see images from the movie, that horrified expression as the murderer crept closer and closer. The blood dripping off the knife, the blood on the kitchen floor, the blood on the murderer's face as he smiled...

I sat up with a jolt and quickly turned on the lamp. Then I turned on the bathroom lights and the desk lamp, until my room was fairly illuminated and the shadows gone.

I let out a sigh before crawling back into bed. It shouldn't be hard to sleep when there aren't any shadows to get me. I closed my eyes and settled down, trying to calm the speedy pounding of my heart.

Except, it wasn't easy to sleep with all the lights. I tried various other things. Keeping only one light on, but that only made the shadows more sharp. Sleeping with the lights on but under the blanket. That only made things stuffy and warm.

Eventually I gave up and just began reading, trying to distract my mind. Damn why did we have to watch a horror movie on Sunday? I'll be so sleep-deprived tomorrow! It was well past midnight when I thought I heard a _tap-tap_ against my windowpane.

Mu-Must be my imagination.

_Tap-tap._ It was louder this time and I knew my ears weren't playing tricks on me. Oh shit! A ghost has come-

Calm down. It's not a ghost. Ghosts don't exist. And even if they did, they can't knock on my window. It-It's the serial killer! Ahhhh! I buried myself under the blankets. No, wait, calm down. Think about this logically. There's a branch near the window. It could just be the branch scrapping the window. That's all. It's a windy night after all.

_Tap-tap._

Oh no. Oh damn. There's no way a branch could make a sound like that. I'm going to die. I'm going to di-

_Ring! Ring_!

I jumped as my cellphone began to ring. Oh God, now the serial killer's going to tell me to come outside or he or she will murder my entire family and then-

_Ring! Ring!_

The ringtone was loud in the eerie silence of the night and I was afraid that someone would wake up from it. That would be troublesome. I sighed, hopped out of bed, and picked the phone up.

From Mitsukuni?

It must be a ghost! No, a serial killer would still make more sense.

"He-Hello?" I said quietly.

"Rika! Open your window!"

"Noo! There's a serial killer-"

"It's freezing out here Rika! Hurry and open the window!"

"But the serial ki-"

"What serial killer?" he asked.

…

"Wait, are you outside right now?"

"Yeah!"

"By my window?"

"Yeah! So could you hurry and-" I yanked the curtains away from the window and there Mitsukuni was, crouched on the branch nearby. I slammed the window open, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, and flung him into the room. A cold gust of wind came in with him and I shivered.

I closed the window quickly, wincing from the biting wind. "Are you an idiot?!" I yelled. He flinched. "It's super cold outside! Are you trying to get frost bite?!"

He smiled nervously. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep."

He was shivering and his face was flushed. He wasn't even wearing a winter coat. It was just a thin jacket. There were no hats, no gloves, nothing. I pulled my blanket off the bed and wrapped it around him. Then I hugged him, hoping it'd be enough to warm him up.

"You are stupid. Stupid," I muttered. I could almost feel the cold radiating off of him, so I hugged him even tighter. It'd be bad if he got sick.

"I didn't think it'd be this cold," he replied.

"It's practically December," I said. I pulled away. "Feeling warmer?"

He nodded.

"I couldn't sleep either," I said, sitting down on the bed. "We shouldn't have watched that movie huh?"

He smiled. "I don't mind."

"So… Should we just try and stay awake for the rest of the night?" I asked.

"Sure!" he beamed.

I pulled the curtains closed again, and then sat back down. Mitsukuni took his jacket off and draped it across the back of my desk chair. Then he just stood there, wrapped up by the big blanket.

"How did you know I wasn't asleep?" I asked.

"I saw some light from your window," he replied. He sat down next to me and threw the blanket over me too.

"But why'd you come here? Couldn't you go to Takashi or something?" I said.

"But it'd wake him up. And he probably wouldn't sleep as well."

I smiled. Mitsukuni was so considerate. I tentatively leaned against him. "What should we do then? I don't have anything interesting in my room except for books."

"That's okay," he said.

Then I heard footsteps. These weren't quiet footsteps, which meant they weren't any servants or Squad members. I stiffened, switched the desk lamp off, and dove onto the bed. I turned the lamp beside the bed off too.

Mitsukuni joined me, throwing the blanket on top, and the two of us huddled together.

"You don't think it's a serial killer right?" I whispered as the footsteps got louder, and closer.

"No. I-I don't think so," he replied.

"It's probably my mom right? Or maybe my dad. But either way, if anyone finds out you're here." I searched the darkness for his eyes and couldn't really find them.

"It'll be okay," he said.

The footsteps paused right at my bedroom door and I froze, hoping that who ever it was would move on.

The footsteps kept going on and I let out a sigh of relief. "That was close," I said. The bathroom light was still on, turning the shadows sharper and darker and jumpier. "Let's turn the closet light on too."

I climbed out and re-illuminated the room. Then I went back under the warm covers. Mitsukuni's eyes were closed and I stared at his peaceful face. Was he asleep? How did he fall asleep so quickly? That's so unfair. I want to sleep too. Dang he has some long eyelashes.

I ran a hand through his soft hair. So soft. Wow, his hair is so fluffy. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at me.

I quickly withdrew my hand, blushing and burying my face into a pillow. "Di-Did I wake you up?"

He rolled closer. "No."

"I want to sleep too," I said.

"Then sleep."

I snuck a peek and saw him smiling warmly. "Okay," I said, flipping onto my side. He just stared at me. "What? I can't sleep if you're watching me."

His smile widened and he turned away. "Okay."

I closed my eyes. I doubted I could sleep, but maybe I could just rest a bit. It was warm, and it wasn't too bright. And that fear, that creeping sensation that there was something out there, melted away by the warmth beside me.

I probably won't be able to fall asleep… At least... not… right… a… way.

* * *

><p><strong>So I did some estimating, and there's probably 8 chapters left until the end. Most likely less than that. So... be prepared! :D <strong>

**I get so embarrassed when I'm writing the kissing scenes. And when I'm reading them, I want to blush and curl up in a ball of embarrassment. _ So what do you all think about it? Good? Bad? What do you like and dislike? Suggestions? Should they get more physical? Or should I decrease the amount of this kind of stuff? All thoughts greatly appreciated! **

**Thank you for reading! Hope you all had a lovely Halloween!**


	56. An arcade game solves the problem

**Happy (early) Thanksgiving! Over 600 reviews and 300 followers! **(*ﾟOﾟ*)** Thank you all!**

**AnimeBestie: **Omg you watched Clannad? Did you like it? Did you cry? Isn't Nagisa and Tomoya just so cute together? Lol I'm planning on writing some other stuff, dunno if it'll be OHSHC. Thank you!

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**PhoenixOtaku: **Flip shittake mushrooms? XD Haha thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked it!

**candymoon2315: **Lol bloody Mary. More physical means like more kissing/touching/etc scenes. Is the computer virus gone? Or have all your Skype contacts been obliterated by the virus? You do have very random and amusing reviews. ^-^ Thanks for reading!

**Strawberry Neko: **You're a fast reader. 66 chapters in one day? O_O Impressive. Cool Halloween costume! Lol, thanks for reading and reviewing!

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**AwakenedSecrets: **Hentai! ;) Don't be a walking corpse! Let's read manga! Or watch anime. Oh did you like Naruto's ending? Lol yeah, Honey ends up like 6 feet in the manga. Fictionpress is Fanfiction's sister site and instead of fanfic, it has works of fiction. ^-^ And yes, the gang would appear in the story. Ryota X Akane... I can imagine it. Thank _you_ for reviewing! See the italics? Haha, your reviews are awesome and reading them always lifts my mood. :) Thank you!

**Lala: **Haha it's really hard to sleep after watching a scary movie right? Thank you for reviewing! As for your Minoru questions, you'll see. :D

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**justavamp: **Hi. I agree that a lot of my reviewers don't log in haha, but everyone's just a bit lazy. You don't have to believe me when I say that I don't write fake reviews, but please at least remember that I'm gaining absolutely nothing from writing this story except for some writing experience. If I get 100 reviews or something doesn't mean I get money or more readers or more reviewers. Thank you for reading. You did at least read my story right?

**thatweirdotaku: **Yay for binge-reading! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing! Nice name by the way.

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**justaislinn: **Trig, yay... Math is always so fun, right? ^-^ Hahahahaha... Thanks for the feedback and reading and reviewing! :D

**Hime1234: **Hime-chan, don't cry! And thank you for enjoying and reading and reviewing this super long story haha! :D

**Now hope you like!**

* * *

><p>I woke up to a strange noise. Like a sputtering and weak engine. Or a broken record.<p>

"Wh-What - How - Rika-sama - Why?" It was loud and rather incoherent. "Why is - What is-What is going on?!"

I opened my eyes reluctantly. I wanted to keep sleeping, tucked safely under these warm blankets with Mitsukuni…

I sat up with a jerk when I realized Azumi was standing beside my bed. Her face was beet red, and I'd never seen her blushing before. She was hopping around as if she were on hot coals, unsure of what to say and what to do.

Her hand reached up to cover her eyes and she sighed. "Oh goodness gracious. Rika-sama… Just what happened?"

I glanced over to my side, where Mitsukuni lay, an arm on my waist. "Uh, um. Wait, what? Nothing happened, if that's what you're worried about. We just watched a horror movie and couldn't sleep cause it was too scary. So he came over and we fell asleep together. We didn't do anything though. Like, we didn't do _it_, you know."

She turned an even darker shade of red. "I-I wasn't asking! Any-Anyway!" She cleared her throat. "Please wake him up or you'll be late." Then she hurried out of the room.

Oh great. I never thought of what would happen if Azumi found us here. Meh, whatever. I don't care.

I shook Mitsukuni's shoulder while saying, "Wake up Mitsukuni. Morning. Rise and shine."

He didn't budge. I guess he probably hadn't gotten much sleep either. I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "Come on." I lied back down to stare at his peaceful face. So warm… So comfortable… So sleepy.

I closed my eyes, relaxing.

"Rika-sama! Wake up! Don't go back to sleep!"

Ugh. I frowned. Then I grudgingly sat back up. Azumi stood out in the hall, watching through the open door. I glared at her and she stared back fiercely.

"Okay, I get," I said. Then I went back to trying to wake Mitsukuni. "Yo. Get up or we'll be late."

It seemed he was still asleep. Then I said in a panicked tone, "Quick Mitsukuni! My mom found us here and now she's going to throw you out and keep the two of us from ever seeing each other! Let's get out of here and elope!"  
>He twitched and his eyes opened, narrowed and annoyed. Yeah he definitely wanted more sleep. "What?"<p>

"Yay! You woke up!" I hugged him, hoping that'd dispel his bad mood. It seemed to work because when I pulled away, he was smiling. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer, burrowing his face into my neck.

"Let me sleep some more," he murmured.

Oh damn.

My face burned crimson. "Mi-Mitsukuni, want to, um, yeah… Can you let go? We're going to be late."

"So are we good now?" he asked.

Good. Were we good now? Just what did "good" mean? It was true that I felt more comfortable with him again. The previous tension and unease had disappeared within the past few days.

"Yeah," I replied slowly. "We're good, if you'll just get up."

He sat up quickly, pulling me up with him. "So-So then, now?"

He looked so serious, eyes wide and innocent. It was obvious he wanted things to go back the way they were before. I smiled. "Yeah, we're good. Now let's go to school."

* * *

><p>It was December now, and the frigid wind told me so. But before we could happily go on winter break, there were the exams. Second semester was ending.<p>

Things seemed to return back to normal as December began to pass by. The first snow came, and although it was hardly half an inch, it was beautiful. Then Mom decided I had to go on another date with Minoru.

"Seeing as you didn't last month," she had said over the phone. There was no way out of it.

Minoru and I debated about places to go while I played a game with Hatsumi. I really doubted I'd be able to beat her before the end of winter break. In fact, I really wondered whether I would ever be able to win against Minoru.

"I don't mind the aquarium," I said. "But fish are kinda boring."

"But you said no to the amusement park."

"Yeah, it's too cold for amusement parks now."

"Then do you want to watch a movie?" he asked.

"Not really. There's nothing good playing right now."

"A dinner then."

"No, that's boring."

He sighed, giving me that annoyed look of his.

"Okay," Hatsumi cut in. "What do you like to do, Rika-san?"

"Me? Reading."

She glanced at Minoru, then back at me. "Anything you would want to do? That you could do with someone else?"

Something I could do with someone else. Guess that puts reading manga and books away. "Watching anime?" I suggested.

Minoru made a face. "You're an otaku?"

I shrugged. "Okay, fine then. Video games."

"An arcade! That's perfect!" Hatsumi said, clapping her hands together. "Minoru loves arcades!"

I turned to him at this surprising fact. "Really?" He was looking the other way, evidently embarrassed.

"That was a long time ago," he mumbled.

Hatsumi grinned. "Good idea right? There's a really good one in the south part of Tokyo. Why don't you two go there? Or go to Akihabara."

"I like that idea," I said. "Are you okay with that, Funaki-san?"

He sighed. "Sure."

So an arcade it was.

* * *

><p>We ate dinner first, surprise surprise. It was a sushi bar, and it was delicious. Then we took Minoru's car all the way to the arcade that Hatsumi had mentioned.<p>

"I used to come here with Hatsumi-san, when we were in middle school," he told me in a quiet voice as we entered the large building.

"A video game addict in middle school?" I asked.

He glanced at me with a snort. "Yeah right. It was just a hobby, something to do in spare time."

"Oh. Then do you have any video games?" We easily brushed past all the crane games. Those were impossible. It doesn't matter what animes and manga show you, crane games are impossible to win at!

"Yeah. I have a PS4 and a 3-DS."

"Cool." I bobbed my head up and down as we began climbing up the steps. I've wanted a 3-DS since they've been released but of course I can't ask that from my parents. "What do you want to play?"

He shrugged. "I don't care. You can pick."

Great. Just great. So I stopped at the first two-player machine. It was a popular drumming game that could be found in most arcades. "Let's play this then."

"Sure." He bent down and inserted 100 yen.

And so the playing begins!

You know it would be a lot funner if I was with Mitsukuni, or the gang, or the Host Club. Or someone… just not Minoru.

There were a lot of people, which wasn't too unexpected since it was a Saturday evening. We went around the second floor playing various games. There were fighting games with a variety of fighting methods, using swords, magic spells, martial arts, or guns. Then there were the racing games. And the music/rhythm games where you had to hit the right thing at the right time.

We'd been playing for about half an hour, having gone up two more floors, when I spotted a game I really liked: Jubeat. It was a game where you hit buttons on a grid when they lit up in time to a song.

"Funaki! Let's play this next!"

"Sure."

"Let's compete against each other and see who gets the higher score!" I said.

"Sure." He really didn't seem to care.

"Let's make things more interesting and bet!"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"If I win," I said. "You'll call me by my last name."

He smirked at the thought. "Sure, but if I win, you'll call me by my first name."

"Deal."

About three minutes later, I stood, triumphant, in front of the machine. "And I win, Funaki-san."

He stared at me, looking rather resentful. "Let's play again. I've never played this before."

"Okay," I said, hitting the start game button.

"Wait." He glimpsed around the arcade. "Want to go up to the next level?"

This time, I was the one to say, "Sure."

We ventured up to the fifth floor, which was full of hardcore fighting and shooting games. "Oh wow."

"Yeah," he said. "This time, we're playing a game I've actually played before."

"How have you not played Jubeat?" I asked. "It's a super popular game right now."

I followed after him towards the far end of the room. "I haven't gone to an arcade in a long time. Half those games down there were new to me."

Wow.

We stopped at an alien extermination game in a corner. Minoru turned to me with a confident smile. "Okay this time, here's the deal: I win, you call me by my first name, and I'll call you by your first name. And, you'll actually _try_ to make this engagement work."

"What do you mean by actually _try_?" I asked, crossing my arms. I wasn't too sure if I wanted to risk this kind of stuff over a simple shooting game. But I wasn't bad at shooting games…

"It means you'll try to fall in love with me," he replied.

Okay. That's never going to happen, haha! Not when Mitsukuni's around! Actually, maybe never. I shrugged, searching for the right answer. Should I just tell him that that's never going to happen? Or say, "Sure! I'll try!" But don't really?

"When I say try, it means you'll say yes to any date I ask you out on. You'll accept any gifts I give you, and you'll give me stuff too," he elaborated.

What?! That sounds like a pain in the ass.

"No," I said.

"You can state your own conditions," he said. "Anything you like that matches the value of what I said."

"Okay then, how about this: if I win, you'll try and get this engagement _cancelled._ What that means is that you'll persuade and bother and pester your dad to end this engagement. You will express your great dislike of this engagement and beg to have it ended." I smiled, liking my idea. "How's that?"

He frowned. "Fine, then I'm going to change mine to match the stakes. If I win, the same name stuff goes, but you'll also break up with Haninozuka."

"What?" My eyes narrowed. "That's a lot more than what I'm asking-"

"Breaking the engagement," he said, staring me down. "That is equivalent to you breaking up with Haninozuka."  
>"Yeah but I only said for you to <em>try,<em>" I replied. "Is your dad really going to listen to you?"

He scowled. "Of course he will. If I really didn't want to be engaged to you, then I wouldn't be."

"Are you impl-"

"Is it a deal or not?" he asked.

I thought about it. Rolled the pros and cons around in my head. How would he even know I broke up with Mitsukuni? Couldn't I just fake it? And that's only if I lost. There was no way I was going to lose. I could finally end the damn engagement! And all I had to do was beat him at this stupid shooting game.

"Deal."

So we picked up our plastic guns and began the game.

My heart was pounding as I shot down alien after alien. It wasn't a competitive game, but we each had our own scores and that was what we were going to go by. What if I lost? What if I lost? That worry continued to wind itself around and around until I wasn't even sure what I was doing.

Then the game ended.

Oh shit. Oh crap! I don't want to look at the scores! What if I lost? What if I _lost?! _I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath, as if that would miraculously change something.

Minoru set the gun down and cursed quietly under his breath. Wait! Does that mean-?

I opened my eyes and saw the two scores. Then I let out a shout of joy and began jumping up and down.

"Woo! Woo!" I pumped my fists in the air and did a mini victory dance, twirling around and earning myself strange stares. Then I noticed how quiet Minoru was, standing there silently, staring at the screen. I quieted down quickly and approached him cautiously. "You okay?"

He stared at me with a hollow gaze. He shook his head with a sigh, and when our eyes met again, that hollowness had disappeared. "Yeah. I just didn't think... This was my favorite game."

"Oh. Sorry, did I ruin it or something?" I asked.

"No. That's not it," he said, gazing at the screen. "I just didn't think - I didn't know you wanted the engagement to be called off _that_ badly."

"What do you mean?"

He glanced at me. "You did a whole victory dance thing."

"Well, it's also cause I like winning in general," I replied. "And it means I won't have to break up with Mitsukuni. So it's just good news in general. Winning the game, you know."

He nodded and then brushed past me.

Why do I feel like he's mad at me?

"Are we going back?" I asked, trailing behind him.

"I am. You can stay if you want."

"What does that mean?" I caught up to walk beside him. He wouldn't meet my gaze.

"You can get a ride back yourself, _Hayashi_-san. I'll tell my dad."

"Tell your dad what?" I asked, excitement mounting. "That-That-"

"Yes." He sighed. "I'll get him to cancel the engagement."

Yes! Yes! I did a mental victory dance as we finally reached the first floor. I glanced at my watch and found that, to my astonishment, it was already eleven. "Woah, it's pretty late."

"See you then," he said and he went out the door.

Wait. That's it?

I followed him out. This wasn't a very busy place of Tokyo. If anything, the streets were fairly empty and dimly lit.

"Do you know where there might be taxis?" I asked him.

He shrugged. I could see his breath out in the cold. "Dunno."

Very helpful. Thanks. So I began making my way towards the more popular streets, in hopes of a taxi. "Bye Funaki!"

He nodded at me.

I called Azumi as I walked along. I wasn't sure if her car could come faster than I could find a taxi, but it was still worth a shot. She said it'd take about thirty minutes for a car to get there.

Great. I don't want to wait thirty minutes by myself. So I consented to finding a taxi. I was walking down the street, almost a block away from the arcade when it hit me. I was completely alone in a part of Tokyo that I wasn't familiar with. The streets weren't lit well and there were hardly any pedestrians or passing cars. This would be an excellent opportunity for me to get kidnapped.

Damn! I have to get somewhere with more lights and people!

I picked up my speed, but as I traveled farther and farther from the arcade, that sense of dread and paranoia only increased. I wanted to turn around and run back. I wasn't sure if Minoru was even still there. And where was that downtown area I was looking for? It should be here right? I wasn't just walking deeper into an abandoned area of town right?

There weren't any signs of taxis. It was a cool and serene night, with a half moon in the sky and lazy clouds drifting by.

The panic started to hit me when I realized the lack of pedestrians. There were none. A single black car came approaching me and I tensed, ready to fight and flee. It passed by, rumbling along the road.

I'm just being paranoid. Just being paranoid.

But the feeling wouldn't fade away, so I turned around and headed back.

Minoru was still there, creating puffs of fog with his breath. A car pulled up when I was almost there and I jumped, afraid men dressed in black would leap out and grab me.

None of that happened. A man dressed in a suit did step out of the car, but only to open the door. Minoru was going to go in and leave.

I managed to grab the edge of his coat before he got in. "Wait!" I said, partly out of breath from sprinting the last few yards.

He glanced at me, bewildered.

"Take me with you!" I said. "I don't want to stay out here!"

"Um… What?" It seemed I'd only increased his confusion.

"Can't you give me a ride back?" I asked. "Please."

He stared at me some more then sighed. "Fine. Let go of my jacket and get in."

The relief I felt was so immense, it even startled me. I slid into the car uneasily. Why had I felt like there were people out there to get me? Was it cause there _had _been people and I just narrowly escaped a kidnapping? Or was that just paranoia? My imagination? An after effect from that freaky horror movie?

All I knew was that I sat anxiously throughout the long car ride.

When the car pulled up in front of my driveway, I let out a sigh. "Thanks."

Minoru had been silent the whole way through but looked at me then. He shrugged. "Whatever. Bye."

"Bye, Minoru-kun."

I caught a glimpse of his widened eyes before I closed the door and dashed off down the driveway.

When I heard the car pull away, I slowed to a stop and stood there for a moment in the chilly darkness. The air was fresh and it cleared my head. Instead of going up the steps to the mansion, however, I turned to the one next door.

I didn't want to make too much noise and wake someone up. So I went to the side door I'd once gone through months ago, and I rapped my knuckles against it as gently as possible.

When there wasn't any response, I tried opening it myself. It wasn't a surprise to me when the door didn't open. So I knocked again, this time louder.

The door opened and a maid peered out. "Who is it?"

"It's Hayashi Rika. I know it's late, but is Mitsukuni still awake?" I asked hurriedly. The door opened more fully, and the warm glow of the light from within washed over me. "Please, I'd like to see him."

"He's probably already asleep, Miss," the maid said. She was young maid, at most in her early twenties. "You should go home too."

Right. He's an early sleeper. It's almost twelve. Why would he be up? But… I sighed and nodded, already turning around. "Okay. Thank you-"

"Rika-san?"

I turned back around and found Chika standing in the middle of the hallway. "What are you doing here?" he asked. He was in his pajamas. How cute.

"Is your brother awake?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Maybe. It's cold out, so come in at least." Then he kept on walking, as if this was none of his business. Which it sort of wasn't.

I left my shoes out on the grass and stepped into the warm building. "Thanks," I called after him. He nodded but didn't look back.

"Um, Miss," the maid said, following me as I made my way towards Mitsukuni's room. "I-I know that Yasuchika-sama said that, but don't you think you should go home?"

"I don't feel like it," I replied bluntly. We stopped at his room and I knocked on the door quietly. If he was asleep, I definitely didn't want to wake him up.

"He's asleep, Miss," the maid said after a moment of silence.

I sighed and turned around, slipping past her. "You're right. I'll be leaving then."

The door opened. "Rika?"

Mitsukuni was already in his pajamas, but from the looks of it, he hadn't been sleeping. There were books and papers on his desk; he'd probably been studying.

I threw myself at him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He staggered back from the sudden force, and I heard the door close softly behind me.

"Um, what is it?" he asked.

"Nothing," I mumbled, pulling him closer. "Just let me stay like this for a while."

"Okay," he said, hugging me back.

We were silent like this for a while, before I said, "I just came back from a date with Funaki."

He stiffened. "And?"

"And, he's going to persuade his dad to break off the engagement."

"Oh." I felt him relax again. "How'd that happen?"

"We played a video game and I won."

Mitsukuni chuckled. Yeah, who knew beating Minoru at a video game could solve this stupid engagement problem?

"Anyway, I just… missed you."

"I saw you yesterday though," he said, sounding amused.

"I know." I sighed and buried my face into his shoulder. Now that I was with Mitsukuni, that unpleasant feeling was slowly dissolving. But what was that feeling exactly? "Actually, before I got back, I was walking around by myself looking for a taxi and, well, it was…"

What was that word? There was one word that could describe all my feelings.

"It felt like I was going to get kidnapped or something."

"Scary?"

"Yeah. That's the word."

"It's okay to be scared," he said cheerfully.

"It's not like with spiders, because I know rationally that spiders can't hurt me, unless they're those humongous fantasy ones. Which, you know, don't actually exist. But with the kidnappings and stuff, it's not really something I have control over and it's… scary."

"It's okay."

"Mmm."

"Now, uh, can I see your face?"

"No." I pulled him into a tighter hug.

"Okay."

It was relaxing like this. I felt like I could just fall asleep, and it even felt like I drifted off into sleep.

"Rika?"

I blinked. "Hm?"

"Did you fall asleep?"

I rubbed my eyes and then shook my head, blushing slightly. "No. How could that possibly happen?"

I heard him giggle and I finally pulled away. "You should go home if you're tired," he said.

"I don't want to," I replied. I blinked some more, trying to reboot up my brain. We stared at each other silently, before slowly leaning forward. Our lips met.

This time was different though. There was some kind of hunger behind it all, as if we both wanted to melt into the other. Mitsukuni had his hands on my hips. My arms were still around his neck.

We broke apart for a gasp of breath. My whole body seemed to tingle with heat and my heartbeat had sped up. When we kissed again, this time, I let my hands fall to his hip. To run under his shirt and feel his smooth, warm skin.

He tensed when my hands brushed against him though, and I pulled away, blushing madly at the realization of what I was doing. "So-Sorry-"

"No." He shook his head and pulled me closer with a grin. "Your hands are just cold."

I blushed some more. What had I been planning on doing anyway? Take his shirt off? Oh my God. Oh my God. I was about to say something when he kissed me again. His hands slipped under my blouse, warm and strong. Then he seemed to tickle me.

"Hey!" I jerked away, trying not to giggle.

"You're skinny," he said as his hands ran up and down where my lower ribs were at. He stared at my chest with a serious expression. Then he tickled me and I burst out laughing.

"Stop - Stop that!" I dropped to the floor in a futile attempt at defense and rolled around on the ground. He kept tickling, and through glimpses, I could tell he was grinning.

"You're so ticklish, Rika!" he said, laughing along with me. I waved my hands at him but he avoided the weak attacks. So I just continued rolling back and forth.

"Stop! Ahahaha! No! Hahaha. Gosh! Mitsukuni! Ahaha! Stop! Stop!"

The door flew open, stopping Mitsukuni in his evil tickling ways. I laid on the floor trying to regain my breath.

"Ah, sorry! I just-just thought that… well, she was yelling."

I glanced up from the ground and found that same maid standing there, squirming and blushing slightly. Mitsukuni was blushing too. "Pardon me." She bowed deeply then left.

While he was still distracted, I tackled him to the floor, sat on top of him, and began tickling. But he didn't budge. He just grinned at me and pulled me down into a hug. "Sorry, Rika, but I'm not ticklish."

"Damn! Why? That's so unfair!"

He laughed, rolling both of us to our sides. I found myself staring into those affectionate brown eyes. I smiled. Then I broke the silence saying, "I should probably go."

"Ah! Yeah." We both sat up. It was almost twelve-thirty.

"You don't usually stay up this late, do you?" I asked.

"Not really," he replied, as we got to our feet. "I was just doing a bit more studying."

I pumped my fist into the air. "I'll get first in our grade this time!"

He grinned. "Sure, good luck!"

I opened the door. "Okay, I'll go now."

"I'll walk you back," he said cheerfully, following me out his bedroom and gradually down the hall.

"You don't have to. My house is just…like, you know!" I said.

"But I want to," he replied, grinning in all that innocent happiness.

Urgh. Okay. Who can say no to that cute face of yours? The maid intercepted our path to the side door. "Oh! You're leaving!"

Why do I feel like she left out the word "finally?"

"Yup," I said with a polite smile.

"You can go to sleep first, Shina-san," Mitsukuni said.

"Ah, it's okay!" She smiled, and I swore I saw some pink dust her cheeks. Geez, don't tell me you've got a crush on Mitsukuni. He's mine! Mine, do you hear? Mineeeeee!

"You came from here?" Mitsukuni asked curiously when I stopped by the side door.

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you on Monday." Then, to make sure that Shina maid got the message, I kissed him on the cheek. "Bye!"

"Bye-bye!"

* * *

><p><strong>A pretty short chapter.<strong>

**But don't worry, I'll be updating next week! And since I'm on Thanksgiving break, I should be able to write a lot. :)**

**As for all the questions about if I'm going to write another story: I've been thinking and there's a lot of different ideas I have, for OHSHC and for other mangas, and I also want to write plain old fiction too. So... just wait and see. ^-^**

**Next chapter is about Christmas! :D Yay!**

**Thoughts and feedback are greatly appreciated! If you catch any typos, stuff like that, please tell me! And yeah, it seemed like they got the engagement thing broken easily, but you shall see! The ending is coming! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	57. Home is where Mitsukuni is

**Hi everyone! Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! Thanks for all the new follows and faves! **

**AquilonIII**: You're not the only one who craves romance. XD Lol Percy Jackson fanfics. That series is awesome. Do you read any romance manga? Lots of thanks! Thank you!

**Mahagony07: **Nothing flipping wrong with using flipping. Thank you! ^-^ I'm glad you're enjoying this!

**AnimeBestie: **Yeah I know right? Clannad! Ushio was so adorable! Her voice was so cute too! :D I've heard of Dengeki Daisy but never read it. Is it good? Lol you should be happy about an ending, it means you know how everything ends up and you can rest assured that those lovely characters had a good life. :) Thanks for the review!

**Hime1234: **Lol yay! I added that maid just for fun haha. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing every time! :D

**aaa17: **Hehe thank you! ^-^ Great feedback too!

**DreamRealm3: **Doing the happy dance over some more physical contact? XD Haha okay. I'm glad you're happy. Thanks for reviewing! :) It's good to have you back.

**iheartelephants101: **Thank you! Here's the next chapter! **^-^**

**DaPandaGirl: **Yo! You're back! Thanks! Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! :D

**PhoenixOtaku:** Lol, lots of people are pitying him now. XD Poor guy. Thank you! Christmas is always great!

**thatweirdotaku: **I prefer Christmas (cause there's no school) but Halloween is a lot of fun too! Is Thanksgiving not up for the running in the favorite-holiday contest? ^-^ Thanks for reviewing!

**Strawberry Neko: **Lol, thank you! Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? :) Was the chapter fluffy enough? Thanks again!

**candymoon2315: **Haha I don't think I could ever portray them going "that" far. XD It'd be too much. Yay, the virus is gone! That guy kinda deserved getting the virus. He should have just listened to you haha. Thanks for the review!

**QuirkyKit: **Hi! Welcome! Thank you for reading! :D A flying fox huh? Most fascinating. Lol, cute review. Thanks!

**AwakenedSecrets: **I've only read a bit of Naruto but I read the ending. Haha, I like NaruHina too, but I could care less about Sasuke and Sakura. Hubby huh? Lol Salad would make a great name! I heard that Naruto's son was name Burrito though. O_O Is this true? And yeah, Fictionpress has an app for phones like Fanfiction does. You can log in through your fanfiction account! :D My username is still the same, although I only have one short story up right now lol. Aw. I'm honored that I can be a highlight of your week! I'm always happy to read your review! Thank you! ^-^

**Guest (Ahnalee): **Hi! I'm assuming you're the same two guests? Either way, thank you for reading and dropping a review! :)

**kyoya3 guest: **Haha no Minoru's father probably wouldn't be happy. Thank you! :D

**Chapter 57. Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>School was a hassle. I knew I had to do well, so I begrudgingly studied every single day. Everyone was caught up with the coming exams, and the week before exams, clubs were cancelled.<p>

I studied like a maniac. Mom had told me a week or so before that we were all going to a party on Christmas Eve. It was a business party in the northern part of Japan, so it was going to be freaking cold there. And of course I didn't want to go. Mitsukuni and I were going to meet up on Christmas and exchange gifts and… go on a date. We hadn't gotten very far with our plan, other than spending the day together. Probably go get some cake.

Anyway, Mom and I came to an agreement: if I got number one in the exams, I wouldn't have to go to the party. Thank goodness I wasn't in the same grade as Kyoya. There'd be no way I could beat that guy.

Then exam week rolled up.

"Good luck Rika!" Mitsukuni told me with a bright grin in the morning on our first day of exams.

"Thanks! You too," I replied.

The math test wasn't bad, but the history one sucked! And don't get me started on the Japanese language test…

"What should we do on Christmas?" Mitsukuni asked me. We were waiting to get our scores back the day after our last test.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I might have to go to a business party on Christmas Eve." I sighed. "Is your family doing anything over Christmas?"

"Not really!" he replied, all-smiles as usual. "We usually celebrate it with family."

"Then can we still…"

"Of course!"

Agh, I better have gotten first!

"Haninozuka."

Oh man. Mitsukuni came walking back down the aisle looking pretty pleased. Is that a good thing? But no, that's his results! Not mine. Ahh.

"Hayashi."

I stood to get my exam papers back. Once they were in my hands, I immediately flipped to the page that showed who was the top in our grade.

Well. Let's just say that…

Damn! Damn it!

"How'd you do?" Mitsukuni asked curiously.

I frowned.

His eyebrows rose. "But you got second place, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but now I have to go to the Christmas party," I whined, making a pouty face. "I don't want to. Mitsukuniiiii."

He giggled. "It's okay. It's a party on Christmas Eve, right? You'll be back by Christmas."

"Right." I smiled. "So we can still meet up?"

"Yup!"

* * *

><p>And now! A classic dilemma in all shoujo mangas! What the heroine gets as a present for the hero!<p>

Tsk. The heros have it easy. It's so easy to pick a good present for girls. You can get them jewelry, cute charms or other decoration, or just plain flowers. You can't buy flowers for a guy! Or jewelry! Or anything cute! And what _can _you get a guy? I've seen mittens in manga before. Oh there's also handmade scarves, hats, and more. And I think I've seen earrings for guys that have piercings. But there's no way Mitsukuni's ears are pierced!

Ah, maybe cake or chocolate is the best way to go after all.

"Kimiko-nee." I knocked on my sister's bedroom door. Soft footsteps approached before the door opened.

"What is it?" she asked. Behind her, her desk was covered in papers and textbooks.

"Aren't you done with your exams?" I said.

She glanced behind at her messy desk, then smiled. "Yeah. But… well, I was just reviewing what I got wrong. I want to do better next time."

Oh. Amazing! Onee-san, you've leveled up even more!

"That's not why you came to talk to me right?" she asked.

I shook my head. "What are you getting Masa-san for Christmas?"

"Eh-Eh?!" she squeaked, jumping slightly and definitely blushing. "Why are you asking that Rika? It's none-none of your business!"

"I need ideas, Onee-san," I replied.

"Oh. Ideas." She nodded then chuckled. "Well Masahiko-kun really likes watching historical movies, so I'm getting him one of those. And maybe a hat."

Movies huh?

"What does Honey-kun like?" Kimiko asked, opening her door further. "Want to sit down or something?"

I sat down at the edge of her bed, thinking. "He likes cake and anything sweet. He likes Usa-chan. And his friends and family."

"I guess you could always get him a cake, but I'm sure he'll be happy with anything you give him. You would be, wouldn't you?"

That's true. I don't even need a present from him. Just spending time with him would be enough. Hm…

I hopped off Kimiko's bed. "Okay! Thanks a lot, Onee-san!"

She smiled. "Sure, though I didn't do anything."

"I have an idea now though!"

* * *

><p>The next day, we flew off to Asahikawa, a city in Hokkaido. After endless pestering from me and a bit of persuasion from Dad, Mom agreed to send me back to Tokyo early Christmas morning.<p>

We had a small house in Asahikawa. And small means three floors with seven bedrooms and their own connected bathrooms, a huge living room, an average-sized kitchen, and an entire office floor.

We settled down and then there wasn't anything for me to do. So I pulled out my phone and sent an email: "_I'm in Asahikawa right now Akane. And I'm bored!"_

A moment later, my phone sounded and an email appeared: "_Asahikawa! Cool! ^-^ My parents want to eat dinner together by themselves on Christmas, so what should I do? Eat by myself? They said if I wanted to I could go eat with them, but I'd rather not interrupt their date haha."_

"_Go eat with Goofy!"_

"_Hm. Not a bad idea. I'll ask right now."_

"_Okay."_

"_Hey he said we could go eat together! With Yuuta-kun of course."_

"_Great! What about their mom?"_

"_She's working."_

"_On Christmas too? That sucks."_

"_Yeah I know right?"_

"Rika! Come on!" Mom called from somewhere within the house. "Your father's going to give you a tour of the Hayashi stores here."

"_Gotta go later."_

Then I dashed out of the bedroom. It was about time I started getting to know more about the family business.

* * *

><p>I spent the day by my dad's side. I attended a long and mundane meeting and visited many Hayashi Sweets stores with him.<p>

On Christmas Eve, our entire family took several hours to prep for the party. It was, apparently, a business party hosted by a family in the agriculture department, and everyone had to be at their best. Ugh. The party was actually a small one. Only the wealthiest families involved in cooking, baking, and, in general, the production of food, were invited. Which meant that the Funakis were also here.

It was boring. The room was pretty though, with crystal chandeliers that shone, pale blue paint, and a large Christmas tree in the corner with plenty of decorations and lights. Overall, it had quite the Christmas spirit.

People talked. I talked, a bit, but mainly just hung around my parents and enjoyed the yummy food. Finally, the party ended and we returned home. God, I can't believe we flew all the way here for such a drab event!  
>"What did you think, Rika?" Mom asked, as we took off our winter coats.<p>

"It was boring," I replied. Obviously that wasn't what she wanted to hear, so I continued, "But, uh, educational. I met a lot of people who I'll work with in the future. It was a good opportunity."  
>Mom rose one eyebrow. She knew I thought it was boring and nothing more than that. "Alright. You'll get used to these things. Go to sleep so you can get on the flight tomorrow morning."<p>

"Yes!"

She sighed, disappointed in the discrepancy between my excitement for the party and for returning to Tokyo.

Whatever. I still have at least four years before I really have to start taking over the family company. Things like this serious and boring stuff can wait!

* * *

><p>It was six in the morning. And no, I do not like waking up at six in the morning. But it was six in the morning, and there was bad news.<p>

"I'm sorry Rika, but in this weather, the plane really won't be able to lift off. It's too dangerous."

Of all things. I should have seen this coming. When does nature not ruin things for couples? I guess nature does some good stuff, like making it rain and getting two people under one umbrella but this?!

I sighed, lying down on the couch in the living room. "Wake me when I can leave. And that better be soon."

"It's a storm, Rika. It's not going to end soon. Just go back to sleep."

I sat up. "But Mitsukuni and I-"

"I know," Mom said. "But there is nothing we can do here. Now go back to your room and sleep. I'll wake you when things clear up and it's safe for a plane-"

"Let me take the train then!"

"The trains aren't moving right now. Nothing's going to be moving in this weather." She shook her head.

Damn this stupid weather! Why did we just have to be up north? Of course there'd be a blizzard at this time of the year! Stupid damn snow!

So I trudged up the stairs, to the bedroom, and collapsed on the bed. Mitsukuni. I better email him. Or should I call him? I haven't called him at all during this trip. But it's early in the morning. I'll call him later. For now I'll just send him an email.

"_It's snowing a lot here so the plane can't take off in this crappy weather. I might not be able to meet up. At the very least, I'll be late. I'll call you later."_

Damn it.

It sucked a lot. I really wanted to be with Mitsukuni right now. Feeling the warmth of his presence. Seeing his bright smile. I didn't want to be curled up under blankets in some foreign house under attack by a blizzard. I wanted to be home, where Mitsukuni was.

* * *

><p>I woke up at about ten. And when I shoved the curtains aside, I was greeted with white. White on the ground, white in the sky, and white flurrying through the air.<p>

"Mom!" I stormed down the stairs. "Can't you do something? It's _still_ snowing!"

Mom sighed, running a hand through her hair. It was a rare sight to see her long, black hair down. "There is nothing I can do here, Rika."

"But-" I paused and bit my lip. "But I promised Mitsukuni-"

"I know, I know. You two are a great and perfect and cute couple. A promise won't stop the blizzard, Rika. There is _nothing _that can be done. We can only wait it out. I'll send you off once it's safe."

Damn it.

I nodded and went back up to the bedroom, picking my phone up. Mitsukuni should be awake by now.

"Hello?" It'd hardly been a few days but I already missed his voice.

"Hey Mitsukuni."

"Hey Rika! I got your email!"

"Oh good, but it's still snowing."

"Seriously? So you won't be able to come back in time?"

I frowned. "Probably not. Sorry."

"It's okay," he said. "It's not like you can do anything about it right?"

I stared out into the white landscape outside. "Yeah. Hey, I'll send you a picture. It's snowing like crazy."

"Sure!"

"Is it snowing over there?"

"Yeah, just a little bit. It keeps melting though." He laughed. "At least this means it's a white Christmas!"

"Mm-hm." I lied down on the bed with a sigh. "Let's visit the shrine together for the New Year's."

"Sure."

"Are you going anywhere after Christmas?"

"I dunno. We might go visit our grandparents."

"When's that?"

"In a few days."

Man, this sucks. I won't be able to spend much of winter break with him. "But you'll be back before the New Year?"

"Definitely."

"Okay."

* * *

><p>We talked on the phone for a long time. Then I had some breakfast, helped my dad with a bit of work - mainly going through reports from each district's manager - and watched TV. It was a lame and pathetic Christmas.<p>

The weather began to clear up later in the evening.

"Let me go!" I yelled when the snow finally stopped falling.

"Calm down, Rika," Kimiko said. "You're not the only one. Mom!" She whipped around to face Mom. "Let me go too!"

Mom rolled her eyes. "It's not like you're in prison or anything. I'll have the plane prepared. Go get ready."

"Yes!" we said in unison.

It was about a two hour flight, and Kimiko and I were excited the whole way through. Mom and Dad would be returning later. Dad had some more business here, and Mom was going to stay with him.

The plane landed at ten-thirty.

I turned to my sister as we got off the plane. "Are you going to-"

"See Masahiko-kun? Of course!" she replied instantly. "I have to give him his present!" A car was already waiting for us, and since Masahiko's house was closer, Kimiko was dropped off first.

As the car made its way back towards our neighborhood, I started getting nervous and I wasn't even sure why. I'd picked out a gift, and I thought it was a good one. There wasn't any reason to be nervous. Right?

Well, it wasn't like I was completely calm when I was with Mitsukuni. My heart always sped up just a bit, and sometimes the whole world would just melt away. And of course there was a bit of anxiousness, cause I didn't want to look like an idiot or some shallow person in front of him. But it wasn't like this either. I was fidgeting and twitching and twirling my hair during the entire ride and practically jumped out of the car when we arrived.

Present. Present. I dug the bag out of my suitcase. "Take these to my room," I instructed the driver, pointing at my luggage and purse. "I'll be back later."

He nodded and bent down to pick my suitcase up. I took a deep breath and began walking towards the Haninozuka residence.

Ah! Maybe I should tell Mitsukuni that I'm coming! I did send him one email before the plane took off, but he only replied with an, "Okay!" Does that mean he'll be awake and waiting? He should be waiting right? This might be my last chance to see him before he goes and visits his grandparents. I have to-

The door opened and the butler bowed. "Mitsukuni-sama is waiting in his bedroom."

I guess he was waiting? Or at least expecting?

I was tempted to run down the halls, but I figured that wouldn't be very polite of me. And were his parents around? Was his mom around?

"Ah, Rika-chan!"

Dang, speak of the… mother!

"He-Hello, Haninozuka-san," I said, almost tripping when I bowed.

She giggled. It sounded a lot like Mitsukuni's giggle. "No need to be so polite, Rika-chan." I straightened up and made sure my posture was correct. "I've already heard the story, about how you couldn't get here in time for your date. What a shame that you two couldn't meet up today."

"Yeah." I smiled. I wasn't sure what else to say.

"I won't hold you any longer, go on." She continued to beam as we passed each other down the hall. I think I know where Mitsukuni gets that never-dying grin now. Although his dad is a very cheery person too.

I knocked on his bedroom door and then rocked on my heels, swinging the bag back and forth. Oh man. What am I going to say? This is my first time giving him a gift, right? Can I just throw it at him? What if he doesn't like it? Am I going to get a present? What am I going to do? Do I even have to do anything? Wait does this even make sense anymore?

"Rika!" Mitsukuni's eyes widened at the sight of me and he beamed. Then he launched himself at me, hugging me tightly.

I stumbled, blushing from his enthusiasm, from seeing him again, and from touching him again. "Mitsukuni."

"I missed you!" he said.

"I missed you too," I replied. I buried my face into his neck. How are we going to survive in the future when we both go on business trips? Ah, now I'm just getting ahead of myself.

"Um." We broke apart and I held the bag out to him. "Merry Christmas!"

He grinned. "Thanks, Rika! Let me get your gift." He darted back into the bedroom and I followed.

He came back with something behind his back. "Here!" Then he wrapped that something around my neck.

"Eh?" I stared down at the light pink and plush scarf and wondered whether I should be thinking crap or wow. "Oh, wow. Thanks. Okay. Actually, here." I shoved the bag at him. "Um." I blushed and ducked my face into the scarf. Oh wow. Wow wow wow! It's those super long and fluffy scarves in manga where the characters can bury their face into and look super cute with in the winter chapters and that's exactly what I'm doing right now but I doubt it looks the same!

"Can I open it right now?" he asked, glancing at me.

I blushed some more and took the bag back. "Actually." I reached in and pulled out a navy blue scarf, then quickly looped it around his neck. "I-I got a scarf too."

He grinned and I just blushed some more. "Thanks Rika!"

"Th-Thanks too," I mumbled, looking away even though what I'd said hadn't made much sense.

"Come on, look at me!" he said, swinging into my view. "Do you want to hug Usa-chan?" He pulled the bunny from behind him.

"No it's okay." I shook my head.

He pouted, complete with sad puppy eyes. "You don't want Usa-chan."

"Don't make that face!" I said. It really didn't help my heart's current state. "You know I can't say no to that face-"

"Then don't look so sad!" he replied with a bright grin. He pushed Usa-chan into my arms. "Did something happen?"

"No." I hugged the bunny tightly to my chest. Mitsukuni stared, then suddenly yanked Usa-chan out of my arms. "Hey! What the heck?"

He frowned. "Do-Don't hug Usa-chan!"

"What?" I said, super confused. He was blushing though. "Huh? What?"

He blushed some more. I wracked my brain for any possible reasons for this. When it hit me, I grinned and hugged him. "I-I was just nervous. Still nervous. I think. Ughh. Really nervous for some reason. And, uh, embarrassed cause I got a scarf too. Should I not have gotten a scarf?"

"No, a scarf's perfect!" He sounded happy.

"Okay." I let out a sigh in relief. "That's good. I'm glad to be back."

"I'm glad you're back too!"

* * *

><p>He left the next day for his grandparents. They'd come back on the thirty-first for the New Year. Meanwhile, I went out with some classmates and shadowed my dad while he worked.<p>

Then it was the thirty-first of December.

I kept watch of the Haninozuka driveway, just waiting for a car to pull up. He wouldn't miss it right? It wasn't snowing today, and he'd gone south, not north. There was no way we wouldn't get together today. I wouldn't allow it!

I put my restless energy into baking, making cinnamon rolls and a tart lemon cake. I paced around the house, ran around on a treadmill for a while, before deciding to take a nap. It wouldn't be good if I got sleepy when we were at the shrine.

"So you're going to visit the shrine?" Mom asked, when I paced past her the second time in the living room where she was working.

"Yup! With Mitsukuni! He's coming over at eleven," I replied.

"Hm." Mom kept her gaze on the computer. "Since you seem bored, go get your sister down here. I want to talk to her."

"Okay."

At ten, after dinner and a brief nap, I started panicking about my outfit. "Onee-san!" I dashed into her bedroom, slamming the door open.

"Wh-What?!" she asked. She was standing in front of her closet with various dresses, skirts, and shirts on the ground and her bed.

"Help me pick something to wear!" I yelled.

"Help me!" she cried back.

We stared at each other and then smiled.

"What are you going to wear?" I asked, having calmed down. It wasn't like Mitsukuni would care what I wore. He'd probably say I looked cute in anything. But no! I have to dress nicely!

"I don't know," she replied, biting her lip and glancing around the mess she'd made. "I made a couple of outfits but I don't know which one to pick!"

Ah, another classic dilemma of a shoujo manga heroine. You know what, I don't care anymore!

"Wait, you're going with Masa-san to the shrine too?" I asked.

"You are too?" she asked me.

We both nodded.

"Don't follow me okay?!" Kimiko said. It looked like she was blushing.

"Why would I follow you?"

"Ne-Nevermind!"

Agh, better pick something before it's too late. And then, at eleven, off to the shrine we go!

* * *

><p><strong>Well this was short. Does it seem like things are rushing a bit? I finished writing the story! And guess what, my estimate was wrong. There's only a few more chapters left with 2 possible bonus stories afterwards. I'll do my best to post weekly. :)<strong>

**Oh and this chapter's title came from the saying "Home is where the heart is." Do you think it's fitting?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	58. A Visit to the Shrine

**AwakenedSecrets: **Lol. There's one yuri short story haha. XD Completely unrelated to this fanfic. I thought about Rika's parents' story and realized that it was quite interesting, so I might write that. As for that kidnapping arc, you shall see. :) No sequels. And you were the first to review, like you said you would. :D Thanks!

**AnimeBestie: **You'll see if your theories are right soon enough. :D All will be revealed in the next chapter! Woo! You listen to Vocaloid? Who's your favorite Vocaloid? Favorite song? I love GUMI. And maybe I'll read Dengeki Daisy. Gotta put it on my to-read list lol. Thanks for reviewing!

**hotbibl: **Lol, thank you very much! :D It's been a while since you last reviewed, right?

**AquilonIII: **School is so demanding, right? Oh Bakuman is awesome! ^-^ Those other two have very interesting plots lol. Thank you so much! Your reviews are so sweet. :)

**Mahagony07: **Haha yes it means you can find out who the kidnapper is. Sorry it can't last forever, but I hope you enjoy these last few chapters. ^-^

**candymoon2315: **That's one interesting reaction if they went that far. XD And no, sadly, I don't know that game. After looking it up though it looks good! Lol thanks for the review!

**iheartelephants101: **Thank you! And I'll definitely keep writing! :) I hope you'll enjoy the last chapters!

**Hime1234: **Aw, thank you so much! 。(⌒∇⌒。) Please let me give you a virtual hug. Thanks for reading and reviewing for so long!

**Lala: **Yeah, Christmas! After this chapter, there's only one chapter left. Hehe, please mentally prepare. ^-^ Thank you for reviewing!

**aaa17:** Thank you for reading and reviewing! :) Here's the chapter! Hope you like it.

**IvyTramp** and **Guest**: If you two have caught up, thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Chapter 58. Warning: there's a fair amount of swearing. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>I went with a navy blue skirt, black leggings underneath, winter boots, and a red sweater. My winter jacket covered that though, and of course I wrapped the pink scarf around me before heading out.<p>

"Ah!" Mitsukuni grinned when he saw me, before pointing at the scarf around him too. I giggled. It didn't surprise me that we were both wearing each other's present.

"Let's go!" I said, holding out my hand. He took it, and we began to walk to the shrine. It was about a fifteen minute walk, and people were everywhere.

"Wait, Mitsukuni." I leaned towards him to whisper. "What if someone we know sees us?"

"It should be okay," he replied with a smile. "I don't care if we get found out."

I didn't care either.

We enjoyed the scenery as we walked in companionable silence. The trees that dotted the sidewalk had lights in them, illuminating the streets and the many couples, friends, and families strolling about. Everyone was in a good mood. Smiles and laughter drifted through the air and it was almost contagious.

"Hey, Mitsukuni," I said. "Do you want to get a fortune?"

"Sure!"

If the roads had been crowded, then the shrine was even worse. There was already a long line and it was still the same year.

I could see my breath as we waited in line. There was a countdown going on off to the side, and the chatter of everyone packed into the shrine was intense.

"Two minutes left," I said, bouncing on feet. We watched the countdown while slowly shuffling forward in the line.

One minute.

"Oh, now the seconds are going down!" Everyone seemed to stop moving to see the seconds tick away.

I felt Mitsukuni's hand tighten around mine.

Ten, nine, eight...

I glanced at him.

Seven, six, five...

He was staring at the clock like everyone else.

Four, three, two…

I leaned against him with a smile.

One.

Everyone burst out into cheers and exuberant laughter, shouting and saying things all at the same time. I turned to Mitsukuni, pulled him towards me, and kissed him.

He kissed me back, and then I felt something dart into my mouth.

Tongue? Tongue!

I blushed. The sensation was strange. Very strange, but I didn't dislike it.

"Wow, youngsters these days." I thought I heard someone say. Then a catcall seemed to sound through the air.

Wait a minute…. People must be staring!

The two of us broke apart, breathless and extremely red in the face. "Mitsukuni," I squeaked, eyes darting back and forth. There were definitely people smirking at us. I blushed some more while staring into Mitsukuni's wide eyes.

"That was…" I trailed off.

"Bad?" he asked. "You didn't like it?"

"No. It was just really weird," I replied.

Mitsukuni nodded. His own cheeks were flushed pink and it wasn't because of the cold. "The line moved, Rika. Let's go!" He pulled me forward.

"Happy new year," I said.

"Happy new year!" he replied with a grin.

"Please take care of me this year as well." I bowed.

"Take care of me too!" He bowed back. "Let's have a good year together, okay?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

We eventually reached the front of the shrine, where we paid our respects to the gods.

I wish for my dear friends and family to be safe and happy, and that Mitsukuni and I continue to be close and have a good relationship.

Wait, am I asking for too much?

After that, we went off to the side and got ourselves a fortune.

"I got average luck," I said, reading my fortune. "What'd you get Mitsukuni?" When there wasn't a response, I looked up. He wasn't standing beside me. I glanced around and still couldn't find him.

Huh? Mitsukuni? Where did he go?

* * *

><p><strong>3rd POV:<strong>

Honey had been dragged away by the crowd. He could see the fortune area ahead of him, but to get there, he had to fight his way through.

_Rika! Stay right where you are! _he thought. He had his fortune curled up in his fist. He hadn't gotten a chance to look at it yet, but he sure hoped he had good luck.

Then he spotted Rika, trying to shove her way through the crowd, going the same direction he was going.

"Rika!" Honey reached out and grabbed her arm, turning her to face him.

"E-Eh?" The girl that turned around wasn't Rika, but her sister.

"Ah, Hayashi-san!" he said, surprised. They'd looked alike. Their jackets were similar, and Kimiko was even wearing a pink scarf. From far away, it'd looked just like her. "Sorry. Have you seen Rika?"

Kimiko shook her head. "No, sorry. But have you seen Masahiko-kun?"

_Um… Who?_

"My-My boyfriend!" Kimiko said, blushing. "He-He's tall, short brown hair, kinda tan. Um, he's wearing a black hat and a gray scarf and…"

Honey shook his head. "I don't think I've seen him." They both glanced around.

"How did you get separated from Rika anyway?" Kimiko asked.

"What?" Honey said. He couldn't quite hear her over the din of the crowd. Then he spotted a gap between people and grabbed Kimiko's arm. He pulled her through to the side, near a dark forest.

"Wow, this is so much better," she said, letting out a sigh. "It's so crowded back there." She stood on her tiptoes, searching again.

"Do you see them?" he asked. He wanted Mori to be with him right now, to help him look for Rika.

"No…"

* * *

><p>"Hey, isn't that her?"<p>

"Who?"

"Her! The one that's standing next to the blonde. That's the Haninozuka blonde, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's right."

"So then it should be her right?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm gonna confirm with the others first. We can't screw up this time. We really need this money."

_Bzzt._

"Yo, team three, is she the one standing next to the blonde?"

"Should be."

"She's in a great position. Can we get her right now?"

"Great position? How are you going to get her?"

"What do you mean? You think we're fools or something? We're not going to let you guys get the credit you know."

"What?"

_Bzzt._

"Let's grab her. You ready?"

"Tell team 5 to get ready first."

"Ah, fine. We gotta be quick or they'll move."

_Bzzt._

"Yo team five, you ready?"

"Yeah. You ready, team two?"

"Hell yeah, we're in the best place ever."

"Great. Let's get going then."

* * *

><p>It didn't help that Rika was short. And it definitely didn't help that he was short. "Do you see them yet?" he asked. "Should we go back into that crowd? Oh!" He reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. Why hadn't he thought of this sooner?<p>

"Oh, great idea!" Kimiko said, turning to him. "Will you be able to get reception here though? There's a ton of people."

She was right. He didn't have reception. He looked up as he tucked his phone away, and found that Kimiko had disappeared.

_What? Is this-_

"Mmph!"

Honey's gaze shot to Kimiko, who was being dragged away, a gloved hand over her mouth. He immediately sprinted after them. He wasn't going to let Rika's sister get kidnapped.

As he neared the kidnappers, he launched himself into the air, landing a flying kick at the man.

"Ah!" The man buckled, but quickly tossed Kimiko to another man nearby.

_No! _

Three more people emerged from the shadows. Then another. She was quickly passed down the line, while Honey was busy knocking the second man down.

"Hey! Wait!" Honey punched the third guy, but three more had come. How many of them were there? Kimiko was already too far into the dark forest for him to see, and he had no idea how many enemies he was facing.

_No. This could be a distraction! Rika! I have to get back to Rika!_

As the men began to close in on him, Honey started creeping backwards. Then he turned and started running back towards the light. They wouldn't dare try to grab him once he was in the crowd. But he really had to get to Rika. He wouldn't let them grab her. There was no way he'd let them hurt her again.

He flew out of the forest and dashed towards the fortune area. _Please still be there! Please still be there!_ But by the time he'd forced his way over, she was gone. _Rika! Where are you?_

Then he spotted a rather tan guy with a black hat and a gray scarf. _Please let that be Hayashi-san's boyfriend!_ Honey grabbed the guy's jacket.

Masahiko glanced down. "Huh? Hey, Rika-san." He turned to his left.

"Rika!" Honey nearly elbowed Masahiko to the side while trying to reach her. She was standing there and she was still safe. He pulled her into a possibly bone-crushing hug and let out a sigh of relief.

"Mitsukuni? I'm glad to find you but… I… can't… breath!"

"Honey-san, right?" Masahiko said. "Have you seen Kimiko? Rika-san's sister?"

Honey released Rika and nodded solemnly. "We have to get out of here, Rika! I was just with your sister, and she-she got grabbed and-"

"What?" Rika and Masahiko said at the same time.

"You tried to save her right?" Rika asked, grabbed Honey's hand.

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Rika. I tried! But there were a lot of them! And you have to get out of here! Their main target is still you!"

"What do you mean she got grabbed?" Masahiko demanded. He yanked Honey around. "She got kidnapped?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Don't blame him, Masa-san!" Rika said. "Let's get out of here!"

"Come on!" Honey took her hand and began pushing his way through the crowd. There were so many people, and it felt like so many of them could be closing in, ready to grab Rika and drag her far, far away. His grip tightened.

"Masa-san, come with us!"

The three of them plowed through, finally reaching the entrance to the shrine. "Rika, stay here!" Honey put his hands on her shoulders in the midst of the crowd flowing in. "Um, Masa-san, please, uh, stay with her! I'll go get a cab!"

He darted away, waving his hand madly at the many vehicles driving by.

"I'm sorry, Masa-san," Rika said quietly. "We'll get my sister back, no matter what."

"No. I know." He shook his head with a sigh. "It's not your fault or Honey-san's fault, I just… I just wish I could have done something."

"You weren't with her then. This isn't something you can control," she replied. She was doing her best not to panic, for the sake of Masahiko and Honey. But fear gripped her, and all her senses were on high alert. Every sudden movement attracted her eye; any sudden noise caught her attention. She didn't like this. Not one bit.

She pulled out her phone, hoping to call her mom. But she didn't have signal. She needed Honey beside her at this instant, not out there running around for a taxi.

"He's got a cab!" Masahiko said. He took her elbow. "Come on! We have to be quick!"

The two of them sprinted the distance between the small crowd they'd been huddling with and the open cab door. It wasn't a very large distance, certainly less than forty feet, yet Rika was sure that arms would grab her at any moment. And she would never see Honey again.

Masahiko hopped into the car. Honey was standing by, and he grabbed her and virtually threw her in before diving in himself.

"Go! Go!" Honey yelled, slamming the door. Glancing out the window, they could see several sketchy looking men scrambling towards them as the car pulled away. "Stay down Rika!" He pushed her head low.

"Mitsukuni, it's fine!" Rika said, grabbing his hand.

"We don't know yet!" he replied. He seemed very strung out and worried, so she stayed down for his sake. Once they'd made a turn, though, she sat up and pulled her cellphone out.

"I'm going to call Mom," she told no one in particular.

"Okay," Honey said. He was holding her hand, and she could feel the tension rolling off of him. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Relax. It'll be okay," she murmured. He did, slightly.

"Hello Rika? What is it?" her mom picked up.

"Onee-san's been kidnapped and we're riding a taxi home," Rika replied in a surprisingly calm tone.

"I'll have the Black Garlic Squad ready. Is Honey-kun with you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Be careful and stay safe. I'll get ready."

"Ready? For what?" Rika asked.

"To catch those damn kidnappers of course."

* * *

><p>"Damn! I can't believe we grabbed the wrong girl!"<p>

"Told you. Saying bullshit like, 'We're in a good position.' What a joke."

"Shut up!"

"What are we going to do? Just let her go?"

"Hang on. I think I know who she is."

"Someone important?"

"We could always just sell her."

"Shut up and let me think. She's… She…"

"Looks a bit like our target."

"Someone go call the boss."

"Damn, man, I don't wanna do that! We're gonna get our asses kicked! This was supposed to be the best chance to grab that stupid, rich girl!"

"Quit whining and hurry up."

"Ah! I remember who she is now!"

"Who?!"

"She's-She's our target's sister!"

* * *

><p><strong>Rika's POV:<strong>

When the taxi pulled up to the driveway, Mitsukuni threw the door open. He got out first and held a hand out to me.

I thought he was just being a gentleman and helping me get out of the car, or something like that, but once I took his hand and climbed out, he scooped me up in his arms.

"Huh? Mitsukuni, what are you-"

He sprinted down the driveway, heading straight for the main door. It seemed like Mom had called in any available Squad member because about twenty of them stood scattered around the yard.

"Mitsukuni, set me down!" I squealed. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, even though I knew he would never drop me. "Put-Put me down! What are you doing? Why-"

The door opened and Azumi stepped out.

"Please pay for the taxi!" Mitsukuni said, running right past her. Only when we were in the foyer did he set me down.

"What was that for?" I yelled in his face. He jumped.

"But-But-"

"We were safe once we got here, you know that right? There's so many Squad members out there. You didn't need to ca-carry me!" I blushed.

"Rika," Mom walked briskly over, interrupting us. "You're alright?"

I nodded.

"Good." There was a trace of a smile. "Now take your coats off and come sit down and drink some tea."

I yanked my jacket off and tossed it at the nearest maid. Masahiko had come in behind us, and I wondered whether he was in shock. His eyes were a bit glossy, as if he wasn't really seeing anything in front of him.

Mom seated herself in the living room with her laptop in front of her, typing away. The home phone was beside her, and another man had a computer out that was connected to the phone.

"What's going on?" I asked, sitting down on the couch across from her. Mitsukuni joined me, and I knew I wasn't mad at him anymore.

"He should be calling soon," Mom said quietly.

"Will you tell us what's going on?" I asked. Masahiko sat next to Mitsukuni gingerly, as if he was unsure whether or not he should be here.

Mom glanced up at us. "I've been doing research on these kidnappings since the first one, and I've narrowed the suspects down to a few. Today is an excellent opportunity to catch the master_fool_ behind this."

"Mom, Onee-san-"

"I know," she said. She looked at Mitsukuni. "Did you notice?"

"Notice what?" I asked. I turned to Mitsukuni and saw that his eyes were wider than usual. He nodded quietly. "What?"

No one said a word, until Masahiko spoke up, "The-The two of them, they looked really alike."

Mitsukuni nodded some more.

"What?" I looked at Mom.

"I had Kimiko wear an outfit similar to yours," she replied calmly.

"You used Onee-san as a decoy?!" I yelled, ready to jump out of my seat. Mitsukuni's hand tightened around mine.

"Not as a decoy. You see, Rika, your physical appearance doesn't really stand out, especially since you lost your bright red bow. You have black hair like the majority of Japan, and you have dark eyes like the majority of Japan. But Honey-kun, on the other hand, has blond hair. Honey-kun, you were with Kimiko right before she got kidnapped, am I correct?"

He swallowed and nodded.

"It's not his fault!" I said.

"I never said it was," Mom replied. "I suspected as much, however. They used Honey-kun, Rika, to locate you today. Or they tried to at least. It's much easier to spot a boy with blond hair than a girl with black hair. So, they took the girl that was standing beside him. It just so happened to be Kimiko at the time."

My mouth dropped open.

"I'm sorry," Mitsukuni said miserably.

"It's not your fault!" I shouted. He flinched from the volume of my voice, and I grimaced. "Sorry, but it's not your fault."

Mom sighed. "No, it's not your fault."

"Don't sound disappointed about that," I said scathingly. She stared at me until I looked away, suddenly ashamed of what I'd said. What was I doing? "Sorry."

"Their main target is you, Rika. It has always been you. Since they have Kimiko, they have less leverage against us," Mom said. "It's better this way. You'll see."

_Ring!_

We all jumped, except Mom. She nodded at the other man.

"What's-"

Mom shook my head at me. "Be quiet, all of you." Then she picked up the phone and pressed a button. "Hello?"

A strange, obscure voice came over the speakerphone, "Hello, Sayoko-san."

"And you are?"

The man laughed. Actually, was it even a man? The voice had obviously been edited over to sound nothing like the person behind it. "Telling you would defeat the purpose."

"Of course." Mom almost looked bored. "Why are you calling?"

"You know exactly why I'm calling."

"Do I? I'm afraid I don't know. Please tell me."

The man scoffed. "Do you think I'm a fool? Of course you know why I'm calling."

Mom smiled. "Ah, do I? Are you going to treat me to dinner? Is that why you're calling?"

Huh? I'm so confused. Is Mom flirting with him? No, that's not right. Why aren't they just getting to the point of things? Hurry up and ask for a ransom or something you stupid dude behind the damn phone!

"Tch, as if I'd call to ask you out for dinner!"

That guy's really… Like really? Why don't you just demand for a million yen or something already?

"Then do you want to see a movie?"

"That's not why I'm calling!"

Wtf is wrong with this kidnapper…

"Oh then why are you calling? I really don't know, it seems," Mom said, leaning into the couch. She was enjoying this. It was so obvious that she was enjoying this.

The guy cleared his throat. "I have… Kimiko."

"Oh, you do? That's a surprise. I was expecting it to be someone else," Mom replied lightly.

"Well it's me! I have your… daughter! And if you want to see her again, you'll be wise and cough up two billion yen!"

Two-Two-Two _billion_ yen?!

I met Mom's gaze and she shook her head at me, making a shushing motion. I bit my lip and glanced at Mitsukuni. He was staring at the ground.

"Two billion yen's too much," Mom said. "You of all people should know Kimiko's value. I'm not handing over two billion yen for her. Besides, how do I even know you have her?"

"I'll send you proof," he replied.

"Send it now, or I'll never pull any money out."

"Alright. Do you have a fax machine?"

I wanted to facepalm. This was like the most anticlimactic ransom call ever. I sighed.

"I do. Send me a picture of her." Mom started to admire her fingernails. Yeah she was bored. But I don't think she's had experience with ransom calls, right?

"Can I have your fax machine number?"

"Shouldn't you already have it?"

The guy coughed. "Right. I do. Wait-"

"Wait, wait," Mom said. "I don't just want a picture. Anyone can photoshop these days. Let me hear her voice too."

"What? As if!"

"Then I guess that two billion can stay in the bank."

"Tsk! Wait!"

There was stomping and vague noises and shouts. I stared at my mom and she just shrugged. Then the guy came back. "Alright, here you go."

"Mom?" Kimiko's voice came through loud and clearer.

"Kimiko, dear, answer this question for me: What is your sister's favorite color?"

"Um, red…" she said. "Why are you asking that? Anyway, Mom, Rika's alright, right? She didn't get kidnapped either right?"

"No, she's fine."

"You'll get me out of here right? Haven't I been a good kid?"

"You have, Kimiko," Mom said softly. "Don't worry. I'll do everything I can. I'll get you out of there safely."

"Okay. Okay. Thanks. A-And, Masahiko-kun, he's-"

"Here!" Masahiko jumped off the couch and dashed to the phone, yelling into the receiver. "I'm okay! Kimiko! I'm okay!"

"Masahiko-kun!"

"You're okay, right? I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry-"

Mom shoved him away, clamping a hand on his mouth, just as the guy's voice came back: "So Kimiko has a boyfriend now?"

"Ask her that yourself," Mom replied cooly. She looked at Masahiko and nudged him back towards us. "Have you sent the picture yet?"

"I'm sending it right now," he said.

This is such a long ransom call! Oh my God! I pulled my feet up and buried my face into Mitsukuni's shoulder. Couldn't we just hurry up and get Kimiko back already?

Mitsukuni's arm wrapped around me in a reassuring hug.

"Now, two billion yen is a lot," Mom said. "I'll only hand over one billion."

"Nonsense! She's your daughter!"

"No. You know. I know you know."

What does that mean? Does it have to do with the whole Kimiko isn't the family heir thing? So she's not Mom's daughter. Could she be Dad's illegitimate daughter? No, Dad would never do that! He'd get pummeled by Mom!

Then… Then...

"I want two billion, Sayoko-san," the voice snarled. "I want it now. Or your daughter will be dead before the sun comes up."

Just say yes, Mom. Just say yes!

"That's fine with me. It's not like I need her for my business to succeed. You only have Kimiko. You'll never get your hands on Rika."

"Damn!"

"One billion. This is the most I'll go, and you know this is the best deal you'll ever get."

"You do want her. I know you want her."

"Sure, I want her, but I don't _need_ her. If she were gone, there wouldn't be much of a difference. I'm only going to get her back for my sister, and you know that."

"You-You!"

"One billion. Take it or leave it."

What is this? Mom turned the tables? Why is she setting the ransom amount? This is so weird. What the hell. What the hell. What the hell?

Mitsukuni's arm tightened around me.

"Fine. One billion, two AM, at the park near your neighborhood. You will come, alone, with the cash. If I see anyone else, any of your silly Black Garlic Squad, I'll kill Kimiko instantly and the deal with be off."

"Alright. I'll see you then."

"Good. Bye."

Finally, the call ended. I looked up, snuggling closer to Mitsukuni. Mom had turned to the other guy. "Well?"

"I got his location."

She nodded. "Good." Then she turned to us. "Honey-kun, may I enlist your help?"

Wow! Mom's asking Mitsukuni for help?

"What are you planning to do?" I asked.

"We have his location. While I was keeping that fool busy, _he_ was tracking his location through the phone." Mom pointed at the guy at the computer. "Wherever he is, Kimiko is. We'll charge in, get Kimiko back, and capture the fool behind this. Once he's in jail, these kidnappings should stop."

"Let me go!" I yelled.

"No!" Mitsukuni and Mom said at the same time.

"You of all people can not go," Mom said. "That's why I'm asking Honey-kun to come. He has the skills to get Kimiko out safely."

"I'll go!" Mitsukuni said, turning to Mom.

"No!" I said.

"He said he's coming, so let him come," Mom replied.

"But what if he gets shot?" I said. "Last time, that one guy had a gun, and-and, what if he gets hurt?"

Mom sighed and headed towards the door. "I'll leave it for the two of you to decide. I'll get the Squad ready. We're leaving in five minutes."

"Should I go?" Masahiko asked, pointing at himself.

I shook my head. "It's better for you to stay. You don't know martial arts, right? Or any kind of fighting stuff?"

"No, I meant, should I leave for you two to talk?"

I opened my mouth and then shook my head again. I grabbed Mitsukuni's hand and headed for the kitchen. "We'll go somewhere else."

"What's there to talk about?"

"If you're going, then I'm going too," I said, turning to him.

"No you're not," he replied. "You can't go! Their main target is you, Rika! If you go and get captured, it'll be really hard for us to save you. It'll be exactly what those kidnappers wanted!"

"I don't need to be saved," I snapped. "I can protect myself just fine."

"I-I mean." He stumbled around for the right words. "I don't want you to get hurt, Rika!"

"Well I don't want _you _to get hurt either!"

"But I'm stronger than you," he replied. "I'll be fine."

He held my hands and gave them a squeeze. He gave me his puppy-dog look. "Please, Rika? Stay here please."

"If you get hurt," I said. "I'll hurt you. If you get shot, I'll throw you out a three-story window. And if you get any bones broken, I'll punch you really hard until I break some ribs. And you better not even get _close_ to death." I jabbed him in the chest. "You hear me? If you die, I'll go to heaven and drag you back down myself."

Mitsukuni grinned. "Okay. I get it."

"You better come back without a single scratch, okay?"

"Okay." He leaned closer and kissed me. I kissed him back, while telling myself over and over again that this was not the last time.

"Don't die!" I yelled. "I mean it!"

"Okay, okay!" He just grinned with flowers drifting around. He gave me a hug. "I'll come back. Don't worry."

I followed him out of the kitchen. "You shouldn't go. Oh God, you really shouldn't go."

"I'm the strongest of the strong, Rika! Have some faith in me!" He smiled.

"I know that, Mitsukuni, but..." I stopped him with a tug on his hand. "But no matter how strong you are, you're not invincible. So-"

He nodded. His gaze was soft. "I know."

"Have you decided?" Mom called.

"I'm coming!" Mitsukuni replied, pulling me into the living room. I pursed my lips while staring at the ground.

"Good," Mom said. "The other members are waiting outside. They'll tell you everything you need to know."

"Okay! I'm leaving then Rika!" Mitsukuni tried to pull his hand out of mine, but I held on tightly. Ugh, I don't like being clingy, but I don't want him to leave!

"Ta-Take Takashi," I said quietly.

"Huh?" Mitsukuni bent down so that he was within my lowered gaze.

"Take Takashi with you. Takashi will protect you," I said.

"Okay." He smiled and straightened up. I felt a warm hand ruffle my hair gently and I blushed. "Oh, hey." He pulled his scarf off and wrapped it around me. "Keep this until I return!"

I nodded, finally letting his hand slip out of mine. "Be careful."

"Bye!" Then he was out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter is the last chapter! Wow! I'm excited lol. Please tell me what you think! Reactions? Predictions? Expectations? <strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	59. The End

**Hi everyone. :) Yeah, that's right. This is the last chapter. But there will be one bonus chapter after this before the story is finally closed. I actually thought it'd go on till like 70 or 80 chapters. Oh boy that would have been long. O_O Anywho, thank you for the new follows and faves!**

**Hime1234: **Thank you for all your continuous support! :) You have been such a steady reader and reviewer. I truly appreciate it. Please enjoy this chapter!

**AwakenedSecrets: **Lol, do you like shoujo manga? If you do, you should read Kimi Ni Todoke. If you really don't have a life (I'm sure you do ^-^), it will give you one. And yup, one bonus chapter. Looking forward to the essay lol. Thank you for all the love you have given me and this story and the many OCs. :D You're the best!

**iheartelephants101: **Thank you for sharing this story! I'm glad you've enjoyed this. Thanks for reading! :)

**candymoon2315: **Lol, you should ask Santa for more marshmallows and a new fake plant. Even if you can't review, you can still read right? Well, thank you for all the amusing and marshmallow-filled reviews! ^-^

**AnimeBestie: **Ooh, Error is such a good song! Yesss! Miku's good, but I think Gumi's better. :) World is mine is super catchy. Dramatic hair flip away, for you shall see if you're right or not! :D Thank you for the many long and unique and exciting reviews!

**hotbibl: **School, lol. XD What a terrible thing it is. I know you've been reading for a while now too. Thank you for all the reviews you've written and for reading all the way through! :)

**AquilonIII:** Yeah, Bakuman has such a good ending! I don't really have a favorite ending lol. Thank you so much! You definitely write excellent, helpful, and kind reviews. Please keep it up! :) And I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

**phoenixOtaku: **Ayy! You've been around since like chapter 20! :D Haha, you don't have to worry too much. Thank you for reading and reviewing for so long! Please enjoy this chapter!

**Strawberry Neko: **Your brilliant ideas... They came too late! Well, the rest of your questions will be answered in this chapter. ^-^ Or the next. Thank you for your fluffy and nice reviews! You give good ideas too lol. Thanks for reading for so long!

**:)**

* * *

><p>Once they were gone, I began pacing back and forth.<p>

"Stop that, Rika," Mom said, seated in front of her laptop once again.

"I-I can't!" I said. "You're the one - Why did you have to ask him to go?"

"He'll be fine," she replied. "Sit down, and I'll tell you about Kimiko."

"What about Kimiko?" I asked, pausing. Did it have to do with the whole Kimiko-isn't-the-heir thing?

"Sit down and I'll tell you."

Masahiko seemed frozen when I sat down. I glanced at him. "Uh, Masa-san, would you like some tea? Something to drink?"

He turned to me and forced a smile. "No. It's okay. I'm fine."

Mom looked at him and must have understood my concern. "Don't worry, Kitano-kun, what I'm about to say shouldn't change your opinion of Kimiko. It's more about her family history."

Family history? Then it does have something to do with how she isn't Mom's real daughter!

"Tell me!" I said, leaning forward impatiently.

Mom nodded and set her laptop aside. "Let me begin with your aunt."

Aunt?

"Setsuko, my younger sister, liked the arts. She enjoyed painting the most, although she wasn't exceptionally good at it. She was talented with musical instruments though. Well, since I was already going to inherit the entire family business, she was free to study and do whatever she wanted to. So Setsuko chose to go into the arts.

"She went to an art school that was a part of a larger school. There, in her first year of college, she met a charming, young man. He was handsome, and tall, and kind. And he wooed her quite quickly. They started going out, and we - your grandparents and I - learned that he was studying business. That his family used to have a small bookstore, but that store went bankrupt a few years ago.

"He was studying business in the hopes of starting his own business. If I recall correctly, he wanted to open a coffee shop. When he came over the first time and told us of this idea, I told him it was stupid. His coffee shop would need something extremely unique and special to survive against those chain stores these days.

"Well that's not important. What is important is that the two of them dated steadily, and my sister was happy. In their third year of college, he proposed; she accepted. They got married with a small ceremony. My parents didn't care that she was marrying a less-than middle class man as long as she was happy.

"Then we discovered she was pregnant. At this time, I was still dating your father, Rika, and so I was surprised by my sister's speediness. Imagine how I felt, witnessing my sister get married before me. It was strange." Mom stared off, reminiscing of the old times.

"Isn't Aunt only like three years younger than you?" I asked. It was the same age gap between Kimiko and me.

"Yes. I'll continue. She was pregnant and in her fourth year in college, she gave birth to a healthy daughter."

Our gazes met, and I realized who it was.

"Kimiko."

"Kurosawa Kimiko," Mom said.

Kuro… sawa?

"Kurosawa Raiden?" I asked.

"Oh? So you aren't as ignorant as I thought. Yes, Kurosawa Raiden was your aunt's husband. Your uncle."

"And? What happened? That's Onee-san isn't it?" I said.

"Yes that's Kimiko. So they were happy. At least it appeared they were happy. I don't really know the details of their married life, since they lived in Kagoshima."

"Kagoshima? That's-"

"Far, yes. They'd visit about once or twice a year. Your aunt was… different from others. She believed in not hiring people to do everything for her. She was a modest, simple woman, far more like a commoner than the daughter of a wealthy company. She always refused to take the private jet, and she preferred to drive by herself."

"Drive by herself?" I said. Even I found that a bit strange.

"There-There's nothing wrong with that," Masahiko cut in. We turned to him and he quickly began shaking his head. "Sorry! Sorry, just pretend I'm not here!"

"Don't apologize. It's not like you did anything wrong," I said. Mom nodded in agreement.

"Ah, okay then."

"Anyway," Mom said. "So, about two years after Kimiko was born, I got pregnant with you. Oh, of course, I got married before that. And, then I heard news that Setsuko had gotten into a car accident. Like I said, she likes to drive herself, so she was driving one night and got into an accident. A drunk driver, I think."

My mouth dropped open. So Aunt had died cause of that?

"After we had the funeral, Kurosawa Raiden disappeared. Your aunt's will had left everything of hers to him. Of course, since she wasn't the heir, she didn't have much to give him. About eleven million yen, I believe, in just cash. And he sold their home and other belongings."

"Then Onee-san?"

"He left her," Mom replied. "He left her with us. She was just two-years-old and you were on the way, and he left her with us. I didn't want her because she looked a lot like my sister. I thought that was the reason why he left her, because she looked so much like Setsuko. No one else in the family wanted to take her in though and I certainly wouldn't let my sister's daughter go to an orphanage. So I adopted her. She is legally your sister, Rika, but not biologically."

"She's… my cousin," I said. Mom nodded, while Masahiko just gaped.

"You were born and I saw no reason to tell you. It was too complicated of a story, anyway. I thought I'd tell you once you entered high school, but your relationship with Kimiko had tapered off. And I thought telling you might only worsen it. And so, now you know."

"Okay," I said. "Wow."

"Now," Mom said. "This is where things tie into today."

"What do you mean?" I asked. She pulled her laptop over again.

"As you know, I've been doing research. And as you may have noticed just then, the man behind the kidnappings knows me. Personally. Calling me Sayoko-san. Even kidnappers wouldn't dare do that, unless he or she does know me personally."

"Who is it?" I asked. My mind immediately jumped to Ashika Suzume's parents or Funaki Minoru's parents or maybe even Chiyo's parents. They were all strict and rather mean and cruel people who seemed likely to do something like a kidnapping.

"Let me continue the story," Mom said.

"There's more?"

"I tried searching for Kurosawa Raiden for several months after his disappearance, but I found nothing. It was quite impressive that he went without my notice for so long. I even had the help of Ootori-san, Kyoya-kun's father. But he eventually resurfaced, and by then, he was already married to another woman. And that woman was pregnant and bearing his child."

What? Man, this guy!

"You know their child, Rika," Mom said.

Kurosawa…

"Kurosawa Tomiko?!" I yelped, jumping to my feet in shock. "But-But!" I thought of that stammering, blushing girl, with the stereotypical shy girl look: long black hair in two braids and full bangs. It was very hard to imagine her being related to Kimiko.

"Onee-san has a half sister!" I said.

Mom nodded. "Yes, yes. That's not the important part, Rika."

"Wait who he'd marry? He didn't ditch Tomiko right?" I asked.

"He married Funaki Yoshiko."

"Funaki?"

"Yes, Minoru-kun's father's younger sister," Mom replied. "Tomiko is Minoru's cousin. I'm surprised you didn't know that."  
>Excuse me if I don't research all my classmates! But Tomiko and Minoru being related? I guess that'd explain why Minoru talks to Tomiko often during chess club. It's cause they've already known each other for years.<p>

"So what does this all have to do with today?" I asked. "You know who's behind the kidnappings, right?"  
>"Only a hunch." She smiled. It was more than a hunch. She knew exactly who it was. She was just waiting for the evidence to fall neatly into her lap.<p>

"Who is it?"

"Haven't you guessed already?" Mom asked.

I swallowed. "So it is the Funaki family?"

She shook her head. "I don't know how involved the Funaki family may be in these kidnappings. But I do know that Kurosawa Raiden is the one behind this. And if the Funaki family is involved, he'll easily spit it out once he's captured. That fool doesn't have any guts at all."

Oh. Wow.

"But Onee-san's with him right now!" I said.

"Yes."

"Does Onee-san know?" I asked. "Who he is?"

"I'm not sure," Mom replied. "Ask her when she gets back. Ah." Suddenly a sound came from her computer.

Then a voice said, "Ma'm! We're about to enter the building from the rear!"

"Excellent," Mom said. "You know the drill. Have you filled Haninozuka in?"

"Yes, ma'm."

I jumped to her side of the couch and yelled at her computer. "Protect Mitsukuni for me! Please protect him!"

Mom sighed. "Disregard what my daughter just said."

"Yes ma'm."

"Don't disregard what I say!" I yelled at her this time.

"Go back over there, Rika."

"What if they have guns?" I asked, grabbing her shirt in my fist. "What if Mitsukuni gets shot? What are you going to do if he dies huh? Are you going to give him back to me?"

"Calm down." She stared me down. "He won't die."

"Can you promise me that?" I stared straight back.

"I can," she replied. "Now go sit over there and don't bother me."

"If he dies, you owe me," I said.

"He won't die," she said. "Now move."

"Fine."

* * *

><p>I went back to pacing, still bundled up with two scarves wrapped around me. Masahiko dozed a bit, jolting awake periodically to glance around with a sheepish expression.<p>

"Isn't it warm with two scarves Rika?" Mom asked. She was back to typing away on her computer.

"No," I muttered, burying my face into the scarves. Mitsukuni must have worn his scarf for a while. It smelled faintly of him, a sweet, vanilla scent.

"I'm going to go bake," I said.

"It's past one in the morning, Rika," Mom said.

"I don't know what to do!" I replied, pacing even more ferverously back and forth. "Oh God, I'm going to tear my hair out or something."

"If baking helps, then go ahead," she said. "But I'm sure they'll be back soon."

So I just kept pacing.

"Isn't there another story you can tell me?" I asked.

"Sure. It's not exactly a story, but it'll distract you," Mom said. Her gaze remained latched on the screen. "You've met up with your middle school friends, haven't you?"

I froze. Yup, a great way to distract me. "Why would you think that?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"Because," she said. "You've been emailing them. And how would you have gotten their email if you hadn't met them in person? Either that or you know someone who knows them. But how could you possibly resist meeting them?"  
>Damn! She's seen the emails? Wait, no, I must act innocent until I know for sure that she knows for sure.<p>

"What emails?" I asked.

She glanced at me. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Except, I don't," I replied.

A small smile appeared. "You take after me, in a way, Rika. Either that, or you're learning."

I scowled.

"I've seen the emails. You're constantly emailing Barton Akane. And you send frequent emails to Katsushika Mina, Yasuda Mikiya, and Asari Ryota. Oh, you also send some emails to Matsuoka Tarou, Ueda Rikuto, Tsutomu Kenta, and Asari Yuuta."

So she even knows how much I email each of them. Still!

"Now you're just spouting nonsense," I said.

"Am I?" she said. "How much more proof do you want from me? I know you've asked Barton-san for continuous love advice, especially when you and Honey-kun had that little fight. You and Katsushika-san discuss various things, from school to boyfriends to food. You discuss novels with Asari-san and occasionally his family, especially his brother. You receive files from Yasuda-san fairly regularly, programs for you to test out. And-"

"Okay! Okay, I get it!"

Mom smiled at me. "You met them during the summer, didn't you? How was it? Have they changed?"

"As if you need me to tell you," I replied. "You're the one who's bribed them."

"Oh that's right. I told them they couldn't contact you, unless they wanted to suffer the consequences."

"There better be no consequences," I said, glaring at her. "They're my friends, Mom. They aren't a bad influence on me. If anyone's the bad influence, it'd be me. I was the one who came up with the gang idea. _I_ was the one who implemented that idea. They didn't want to be in a gang, but I got them to join a gang. To fight others. I'm the bad influence."

She sighed. "You're right, I suppose. I won't punish them, but I'll stop sending them money."

"What about me?" I asked. I tensed, prepared to fight her with all I got.

"What about it? You'll be turning into an adult soon. I'm not going to regulate your friends. It's your choice. And you'll be the one to face the consequences later," she said.

I smiled. "So you think that there will be consequences if I continue to associate with the gang?"

"Perhaps," she replied.

Then I heard the sound of a car pulling up to the driveway. Does that mean? That totally does mean!

I yanked the door open and was greeted by a gust of cold wind.

"Don't be ridiculous, Rika!" Mom called.

A Black Garlic Squad van was pulling up. It opened and the members poured out. They looked pretty beat up.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked, as I was hit by another freezing wind. I shivered. Then a hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me away from the door.

"Hey!"

"Put a coat on," Mom said. She threw my jacket at me and I caught it. "You'll get sick just standing there like that."

Then I heard footsteps coming. I dropped the jacket and pulled the door open once again, vaguely hearing Mom calling my name and sighing in frustration.

"Onee-chan!" I yelled into the roaring wind.

Kimiko appeared at the doorstep, slightly out of breath and bundled in the outfit I'd last seen her wear.

"Onee-chan!" I threw myself at her for a hug, and she caught me.

"What? Rika."

And for some unfathomable reason, I began to cry.

"Rika? Don't-Don't cry! It's okay! I'm okay!" Kimiko said, starting to panic. "I'm fine, okay? Perfectly fine! And they caught the kidnappers and the guy behind it all! This won't happen again, okay? So-So please stop crying."

"I-I thought I'd never see-see you again," I sobbed. "O-Onee-Onee-chan!"

"Rika-san," a voice said behind me. "Um, I don't want to push you away, so could you please let go of Kimiko?" I tightened my grip around my sister. "Uh, there's another person waiting to be hugged by you." Masahiko was really trying to get me off of Kimiko.

I backed away slowly, hastily wiping the tears away. Masahiko brushed past me to Kimiko, pulling her in an even tighter hug. "Ah, Ma-Masahiko-kun." She started to blush. Haha, it was a cute sight.

"How mean, Rika."

I turned to a pouting Mitsukuni. I stared at him. And I stared at him. And then I stared at him some more. He looked fine. There weren't any scratches or bruises or cuts on his face. I started to poke him in the side, in the chest, in his face.

"Hey! What are you doing?" He grinned, catching my hand mid-poke. "I'm not hurt, okay? So you can't throw me out any windows or punch me or drag me out of heaven, okay?"

The words got stuck in my throat, but I really didn't want to cry in front of him. So I just dropped my head down on his chest and he hugged me. He was here. He was safe. He was alive. He was fine.

I started to cry again.

"Rika!" I heard Kimiko say not unkindly. "What's with you? You're usually not such a cry baby."

Mitsukuni just pulled me closer.

"It's okay, Rika," he said quietly. "You were scared weren't you?"

I nodded. "I. Hate! Waiting!" I managed to gasp out, and he chuckled. "It's agonizing, you know?" I sniffled as the tears began to subside. He was fine. Those words were starting to sink in, and I rubbed the tears away again.

I looked up. Mitsukuni was there. I grabbed his face and ran my thumbs over his soft cheeks. He stood there and smiled at me.

Then I kissed him. A long, slow kiss. I didn't want it to ever end.

"Where's Takashi?" I asked when we broke apart.

"Here," Takashi said, coming to stand beside us. I pulled away from Mitsukuni to give Takashi a hug.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded with that small, warm smile of his. I smiled back in relief. Everyone was okay. I turned back towards Mitsukuni. "Were there any guns?"

"Yeah," he replied. "But the Squad members had guns too!"

"Hah?" I whirled around to Mom. "Since when did the Squad have guns? When guns are so hard to get?"

"This is their first time going on a mission equipped with guns," Mom replied, standing at the doorway. "Come inside. It's cold out."

"Ah!" Mitsukuni jumped. "I just realized! Rika, why aren't you wearing a coat?"

"It's not cold," I replied.

"Go in! Go in!" He started to push me towards the door.

"Okay, okay."

We went inside and that was when I realized how cold it was outside. When I shivered, Mitsukuni hugged me and rubbed my arms.

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you," Mom said. "If you catch a cold."

"I won't. I have a strong immune system," I mumbled.

"Rika-sama." Azumi came in carrying a tray of steaming hot tea. "Have something warm to drink please."

I took a cup, warming my hands with the tea.

"Honey-kun," Mom said. "I'd like to speak with you, privately for a moment."

"Okay." He followed after her into the kitchen. And although I tried to eavesdrop, Azumi kept me too far away to hear anything.

"Azumi! How could you?" I said.

"No." She shook her head firmly. "Your mother said privately for a reason. Now be patient and wait."

"Didn't I already say that I hate waiting?!" I screamed at her. I glanced over at Takashi, who was sipping the tea quietly in the corner. "What do you think they're talking about?"

He just shrugged. I guess he wouldn't know.

"Rika." Kimiko came over. "I heard from Masahiko-kun that Mom told you about my story."

"Oh yeah," I said. "So it was Kurosawa Raiden?"

She nodded solemnly. "Yeah. I met him today. He was a bit… I don't know, crazy. He told me why he was doing this." She looked at me. "He wanted revenge, he said. His family's business, that small bookstore, it went bankrupt because an Oshiro bookstore opened up in the area, and he lost most of his business. He told me that when he met my mom, Aunt Setsuko." She sighed. "I only see her as Aunt Setsuko, even though she's my mom. It's strange."

"It's okay," I said. I didn't know what else to say.

She smiled at me. "Why'd you call me Onee-chan, Rika?"

I looked away, shrugging. "It's what I used to call you. Before middle school."

"Yeah," she said. "I like it."

"Okay, Onee-chan."

She beamed. "Anyway, him meeting Aunt was like fate. That's what he told me. And so he started dating her, hoping that he'd be able to have some power in the business. He wanted to sabotage the business. But then he found out that all of the business's power was in Mom's hand, and then I was born, and… Well, in the end, he didn't want anymore of this family, so he ran away.

"Did you know he married into the Funaki family to get revenge on us? He thought he could make the Funaki Cakes business better than Hayashi Sweets. He was the reason behind those rumors in high school. You know, the rumors and trouble during your middle school years."

Wow. That guy sure tried very hard to screw our family over. And in the end, he still failed. I almost pity him.

"I'm glad he's not my dad," Kimiko said. She smiled at me. "I'm glad I got adopted into your family, Rika."

"You're already family, Onee-chan," I replied, smiling back.

Mitsukuni and Mom came back out, and he immediately came to me. "Guess what?" he asked, looking extremely excited.

"What?" I asked.

"Your mom thanked me!" he said, as flowers bloomed around his head.

…

"Mitsukuni! I thought it was something more exciting!" I said.

He grinned and giggled. "Well, she told me that you're engagement has been called off!"

I turned to Mom. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes. Minoru-kun's father told me. Apparently his son doesn't want to do this anymore, and seeing how stubborn you've been about this entire thing, I agreed quite easily."

"Yes!" I jumped up and down. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I squeezed Mitsukuni in a hug, before kissing him.

He grinned and kissed me back.

* * *

><p><strong>Five years later...<strong>

My twenty-third birthday. Mitsukuni was taking me out for dinner, and he said there'd be a pleasant surprise too. Hm, I wonder what that surprise is?

I arrived at the fancy, traditional Japanese restaurant at six, dressed in a simple black dress with the pink scarf wrapped around me. I was taken up an elevator to the fifth floor and led to our seat by a large window, with a breathtaking view of the city.

Mitsukuni was already seated, looking at the menu as I approached.

It'd been a while since I last saw him. He was busy with his family business, and I was busy with mine. Kimiko and I had came to the agreement that we'd be splitting the businesses. She'd take over the Oshiro business, and I'd take over Hayashi Sweets. My parents didn't have any objections; they thought it was a good idea.

The last time I saw him was almost a month ago. Now that we were both out of college, it was even harder to meet. We both had business trips that never seemed to clash right, and we were always missing each other. If it weren't for how busy I was, I'd really miss him.

"Mitsukuni!" I waved at him. He glanced up and quickly jumped to his feet.

"Rika!" We embraced.

"I'll be back shortly to take your orders," the waiter said, bowing before leaving.

Ever since graduating high school, Mitsukuni had started to grow. He was now about six foot. It was strange, and it sure took a while for me to get used to him being taller than me. But I'd also grown, only it was less than an inch.

We sat and we chatted, catching up with each other. It was nice to just spend time with him, talking and laughing and relaxing.

We were almost done with the meal, when I asked, "So. The surprise?"

He grinned. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you what it was. Or when it's going to come out."

"Ehh?" I said. I was really just expecting some sweet birthday present.

Then the birthday cake arrived.

It was a strawberry cake, with strawberry slices on top, vanilla ice cream in the middle, and sugary frosting.

"Oji-san made it!" Mitsukuni told me. "I asked him to, and he made it!"

"Awesome!" I said, mouth-watering at the sight. "His cakes are still the best!" We dug in, and it was the best cake I'd eaten ever.

After the food was cleared away, we sat there some more, admiring the view in a peaceful silence. The city was beautiful in the night, with lights shining everywhere. Cars and people roamed the streets, and the city felt alive.

I relaxed while watching the dancing lights. Hopefully, we'd be able to spend Christmas and New Year's together. I just wanted the two of us to be together more often. But how?

"Hey, Rika," Mitsukuni said. I turned to him and found that he wasn't in his seat anymore. He was crouched on one knee beside me. And, there was a little black box opened in his hand. "Will you marry me?"

My heart skipped a beat, and it felt like I couldn't breath. Then my mouth dropped open. I stood up.

And, I said, "Yes!"

I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet for a hug. "Of course! Yes!" We pulled away, and staring into those lovely brown eyes, I said, "I love you, Mitsukuni."

He smiled. "I love you too Rika."

* * *

><p><strong>What a cheesy ending! XD Haha anyway, from here on out, I won't be replying to any reviews. But please know that any will be greatly appreciated. I still want to know what you thought of this chapter! <strong>

**Also there will be one last chapter after this. Don't worry. There's no way an Ouran fanfic can end without the entire Host Club appearing to show off all their glory! It will contain a short Valentine's story and then another about them in the future. ^-^ Hint hint: there will be TamakiXHaruhi.**

**So, I'd just like to say: Thank you all! I know every chapter has been decorated and puked on with thank you's but that's because I really am grateful for every single one of you. And I don't know how else to express it other than in words. **

**I originally started this story because I had a character template and no setting for that character. The template was a girl that used to be a gang leader and had to pretend to be a prim and proper girl cause she was actually rich. Hm. Ouran sounds about right! Plus I'd been obsessing over Ouran OC stories when I'd started this. It's always so interesting to see what character authors create to go with canon characters. Like, oh so this kind of girl could fit well with this Host!**

**Well I never thought it'd turn out this way. So many reviews and follows and faves. And so long!**

**Thank you all. You've only made me love writing (and OHSHC) even more. :) I hope you liked this ending chapter. And if this story has in any way given you a smidgen of happiness, then I will be content. **

**Thank you.**


	60. Bonus

**Thanks everyone! I hope you will all enjoy this final, fun chapter. :) There's a bit of a time jump occurring, but it'll give you a glimpse of their future!**

* * *

><p><strong>Valentine's day<strong>

February 14th was fast approaching. Here's another classic shoujo manga dilemma: What, when, and how to give the boyfriend chocolate.

Actually the usual problem is how to make the chocolate, since a lot of shoujo main characters suck at cooking. How do you even turn something into complete black charcoal? Ah, whatever. My problem is what to make. Mitsukuni's definitely going to get a ton of chocolate from all those girls. And he'll also get a lot of cakes, since everyone knows how much he loves cakes. But I want something that stands out! He'll eat whatever I make him and he'll say it's delicious - and it will be. And he'll probably remember what I made him but I want it to naturally stand out from all the chocolate and cake.

So what should I make?

I paced back and forth in the kitchen, all sorts of ingredients scattered on the countertop. Ah. What should I make?

"Rika! Help! Chocolate!" Kimiko dashed into the kitchen in a frenzy. "Help me make chocolate!"

"But you know how to make chocolate," I said. "You've been making chocolate since like middle school."

"I know, but it's for Masahiko-kun! Our first Valentine together as a couple! And I want to make something super special for him," she said, sounding excited.

"I can help, Onee-chan, but I don't know what to give Mitsukuni myself," I replied with a shrug.

"Yay! Thanks Rika!" She gave me a hug, grinning. "I'll help you think of something for your boyfriend."

"Okay."

February 14th.

Should I give it to him the moment I see him? No, maybe I should wait for the right moment. But when exactly is that? It's not like I'm riding with him to school today so the earliest I could give it to him is during our first class. Maybe I'll give it to him when I'm giving the Host Club their chocolate.

I was carrying a bag full of chocolates. There were some that was for the Host Club and some for my other friends.

"Chocolate, Rika-senpai?" Chiyo asked with wide, excited eyes.

"Yup." I smiled, sneaking a glance at Mitsukuni. He raised his eyebrows at me and I just smiled at him. Later. I'd give it to him later. For now, I pulled a bag out. "Yours, Chiyo."

Her eyes widened as she accepted the chocolates. "Kyaa! Chocolate from Rika-senpai!" She gave me a hug. "Are they homemade?"

I nodded.

"Homemade chocolate from Rika-senpai! Yes!"

I laughed. "It's really not that amazing, Chiyo." She grinned at me.

The moment the bell rang, signaling the end of the first class, girls swamped Mitsukuni, showering him with pretty packages of chocolate and cake. Dang. Is he going to eat it all? He accepted everything with that usual grin, but he didn't actually open anything to eat. Takashi also got a ton of chocolate - and confessions, oh my! The Host Club sure was popular.

Even after our third class, girls were still surrounding him. Seriously, isn't he _too_ popular? I guess if I wanted to give a host chocolates, it would be Mitsukuni. He's really the only one who'd definitely eat all that chocolate. What does Haruhi do with all the chocolate?

Since I couldn't get Mitsukuni between classes, I tried during lunch, but found the Host Club table completely encompassed. Oh goodness gracious. Never mind. This is impossible after all. They're too damn popular! Well, fine then! I'll try after school.

"Minoru-kun, here." I held a bag of chocolates out towards him.

"What?" He glanced at me before taking the bag gingerly. "Um, thanks."

I smiled. "Obligatory, okay?"

He nodded.

"I'm done with my game today," I said. "So see you."

"See you."

* * *

><p>I made my way towards the Host Club. No doubt it'd be jammed pack full of girls today. I opened the door carefully and was blinded by the lovey-dovey atmosphere, lights, and roses.<p>

So bright! So fluffy! It's like I just walked into an alternate universe full of rainbows, unicorns, and puppies. Ugh. It's almost sickening.

"Welcome!" Haruhi said, turning to me with a host smile. "Oh, hey Rika-senpai."

"Hi." I smiled. "I just came to drop off some chocolates."

Tamaki swept over. "Chocolates? For me, princess?"

I sighed and held up a bag for him. "Yes, for you."

"Yay, thank you!" He grinned, taking it.

"Haruhi, did you make any chocolates?" I asked the girl.

"Yeah!" She smiled. "For my dad!"

None for Tamaki? The poor guy must be disappointed. There was a huge pile of chocolates in the back of the room, with name tags in front of each. So I went around adding my bag of chocolates for each Host there.

"Ri-chan!" Mitsukuni grabbed my arm, turning me towards him while grinning. "Wait for me, okay?"

"Um, okay," I said. I tried my best not to blush. It wasn't like this was my first time giving a boy I liked chocolates. I'd given Ryota some, although I had said it was just obligatory chocolates. But it was Mitsukuni, and he was my _boyfriend._

I blushed, sat down at a couch, and tried to keep my heart beat pounding at the same rate. What was I getting nervous about? I guess I was just excited to see his reaction. But. Ah. My face burned.

The girls eventually began to leave, calling out final wishes and expressing their love quite blatantly.

I let out a sigh when the room was finally quiet. "You know, you guys are impressive in your own way. Being able to deal with that crazy mob of girls."

"Rika!" Mitsukuni jumped in front of me and held out a hand. "Chocolate?"

Geez, he's surprisingly pushy. I reached into my bag and pulled out a box while blushing madly. "Here."

He grinned. "Yay! Thanks Rika!" Then he kissed me on the forehead. I blushed some more.

"Ew, do that somewhere else, senpais," the twins said.

"I think it's cute," Haruhi said.

"Yeah, cute!" Tamaki said, nodding.

Kyoya glanced at us then went back to scribbling in his notebook. Was he documenting who gave who chocolates? Mitsukuni sat down next to me and opened the box. "Uwaa," I said, burying my face into my hands. "Can't you wait until you get home?"

"No."

I glanced over at him and saw him pouting. "I've been waiting all day for your chocolate, Rika. I haven't had any at all, cause I wanted to eat yours first."

"Seriously?" I grimaced. "So-Sorry. And it's not exactly chocolate."

"I don't mind." He grinned. "It looks like chocolate though."

It was a heart-shaped chocolate cake with a dark chocolate coating. Inside, underneath the coating, was a thin layer of whipped cream and strawberry jam.

"You'll need a fork, Mitsukuni," I said, trying not to die from embarrassment.

"Okay!"

"You made us chocolate too, Rika-senpai?" Haruhi asked, holding up the bag that I'd put in their stacks. I nodded. She smiled. "Thanks."

"Man." The twins sighed. "We're going to have to call in an extra car. There's no way one will fit all of this." They gestured at the mountain of packages.

"Do you guys even eat it all?" I asked.

They turned to me. "What do you think?"

Ah, so they don't.

"We share it with all the servants at our mansion," they replied.

"It's good Rika!" Mitsukuni said.

"Really?" I asked, glancing at him.

He was beaming. "Yup! Thanks!"

Uwaa. I blushed some more.

* * *

><p><strong>When Rika and Mitsukuni were 28… (Which means Haruhi &amp; the twins are 26)<strong>

"Rika-dono," Azumi said, handing me a stapled stack of papers. "The contract from Funaki Sweets."

"Thanks." I picked the contract up. It was really just a renewal of our two companies' partnership, stating a few things like keeping prices of certain products the same and which companies we'd work with and which we wouldn't. Azumi was like my secretary, and she also helped manage the entire mansion.

I started glimpsing over the contract. Minoru and his older brother were both owners of Funaki Sweets, and thanks to Minoru's personality, any written documents from them were relatively short. I liked it.

"Do you know when Mitsukuni's coming home?" I asked as I flipped to the second page.

"This evening," Azumi replied. She was leafing through reports herself.

"Yes, but what time? The Host Club's coming over for dinner."

"I know. I'm sure he'll be back in time," she said. I sighed, laying my head down on the desk. I was not in the mood to work and read all these words.

"Rika." Akane entered my office with a smile. "I'm off to the meeting. Anything you have to say?"

My wonderful VP. She was going to meet Ryota and Mikiya, who had started their own business selling all sorts of technology that they'd designed and created themselves. I sat up quickly. "Yes. Tell them that they should design a robot that will read written text out loud for you."

She laughed. "There's probably already something like that. I'll bring the contract back for you to confirm our order."

"Good. Sounds good. Thanks," I said, slumping down again.

"See you then." She left.

Ahh… I glanced at the clock to my left. It was almost five-thirty. I stood and walked slowly out of my office to the room nearby, where Mika was sleeping soundly.

"Wake up, Mika dear," I said, as I picked up the small child. She was an adorable girl with slightly curly hazelnut brown hair and sweet brown eyes.

"Everything alright, Rika-dono?" Azumi asked.

I nodded. Mika was almost two, and she had a sibling on the way. As I carried her down the stairs to the first floor, I heard the sound of the main door open.

"Hey, Rika?" It was Onee-chan.

"Hey, Onee-chan!" I said, meeting my sister by the doorway.

She smiled. "Mika-chan's so cute!" She poked the still asleep girl's cheek. "Anyway, I came to drop this off." She handed me a contract. "Just so you know, I signed this contract yesterday. Oshiro bookstores now have five more stores!"

"Cool." I took the papers and glanced it over. Kimiko had purchased a dying bookstore company, gaining new workers and stores. "Azumi."

"Yes, ma'm." She took the papers from me. "I'll put it in the filing cabinet."

"Thanks."

"So, Mitsukuni-kun's coming back today?" Kimiko asked, sitting down on the couch.

I nodded, joining her. "Yeah. He should be back soon. When is Masa-san going to come eat dinner with us?"

She smiled. "I'll ask him, but he's surprisingly busy these days."

Then I heard the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway and I leaped to my feet. The door opened and Mitsukuni came into view, dressed in a formal suit and even carrying a briefcase.

"Mitsukuni!" I ran at him with a grin. He caught me in a hug.

"Woah Rika! Careful."

"Hey!" We kissed. "How was the trip?" I asked, as we pulled apart.

"Good." He smiled. "Well, it's always a bit strange doing things for Hayashi Sweets." He reached into his briefcase and pulled out some papers. "Here, everything you need. And I'll take Mika out of your hands."

"Okay." I started going through the papers, checking to make sure everything was right. I was already eight months pregnant, and Mitsukuni was quite adamant about not letting me ride a plane or over exert myself. So for the past few weeks, he'd been going on all my business trips.

"Can you wake her up while you're at it?" I asked, going back towards the couches where Kimiko sat reading something. "She needs to eat dinner. And if she keeps sleeping, she won't be able to sleep at all at night."

"What?" Mitsukuni frowned. "But she's so scary when she gets woken up."

I smiled brightly. "Hm. I wonder who she got _that _from."

He grinned and began the arduous task of waking our daughter up.

* * *

><p>"Hey Rika-senpai, Honey-senpai!" Haruhi said, smiling brightly. Only four years out of college and she was already a well-known and highly-respected lawyer.<p>

"Hey Haruhi," I said.

"Hi!" Tamaki yelled, as energetic as before. He was wearing a striped suit and he handed me a bag. "Souvenirs from America!"

"Oh cool!" I smiled. "Thanks, Tamaki."

Suddenly a scream came from the living room and I heard Mitsukuni rushing to quiet Mika.

Haruhi raised her eyebrows. "Is that?"

"Mika, yup." I nodded with a smile. "You guys are the first, so come on and sit down in the living room."

"I told you Haruhi," Tamaki said. "We should have brought our adorable daughter to meet Mika-chan."  
>"Okay, okay, we can bring her next time," Haruhi replied, smiling happily.<p>

Aw. Haruhi and Tamaki's kid was so cute! She was probably six months old by now. Of course Mika's much cuter. She definitely inherited Mitsukuni's cuteness. "Rika!" Mitsukuni was rocking Mika back and forth in his arms. "She won't stop screaming."

"Uh-huh," I said, still beaming. "You've been gone for a week, so you haven't heard this screaming all week long. Don't you think you should enjoy it?"

He smiled. "Okay, Mika-chan, Dad's home and we have guests, so please stop crying."

She did. "Hi Daddy," she said, grabbing his tie with a smile. Then the doorbell rang.

"Must be Takashi!" Mitsukuni said, suddenly excited. He handed Mika to me and ran towards the door. Although the two cousins were used to not seeing each other for months, it was obvious that Mitsukuni still missed Takashi's presence.

"Can I hold her?" Tamaki asked. I nodded and passed Mika over. He began rocking her back and forth.

"Yellow," Mika said, pointing at Tamaki's hair. "Like Daddy and Aunty."

"Aunty?" He glanced at me.

"She's talking about her Aunt Akane," I replied.

"Oh! Wow, Mika-chan's so smart! And so cute! Yeah, you're so cute!" Tamaki started chattering to Mika.

"He dotes on kids too much," Haruhi said with a sigh. "Our kid's gonna end up spoiled at this rate."

"Not with you around, Haruhi," I replied, grinning. "You guys must be great parents." I turned as I saw Takashi enter the living room. "Takashi!"

"Hi Mori-senpai!" Haruhi said.

"Mori-senpai!" Tamaki's eyes lit up in delight as he sprang towards Takashi. "Look! Look! Isn't Mika-chan cute? Ah, but of course our daughter is much cuter! Have you seen the pictures I sent you? Wasn't she adorable?! Isn't she the cutest thing alive?! She looks so much like Haruhi!"

Takashi just nodded, but the twinkle in his eyes was enough to show how happy he was to be with his friends again.

Mitsukuni came to my side and gave me a hug. "Rika's still the cutest."

I blushed, elbowing him lightly. "Oh shut up, Mitsukuni." He grinned as the doorbell rang again.

Tamaki gasped. "Is it Kyoya? Kyoya!"

I took Mika back from him before he went sprinting towards the door. Hasn't he seen Kyoya in this month?

"Tamaki's still very energetic," I said.

"Yeah," Haruhi replied, smiling with a fond look. "Everyday is interesting with him around."

"Hello." It was Kyoya indeed and he gave all of us a brief nod. "It's been a while, Honey-san and Mori-san."

I held Mika up to Kyoya's face. "Say hi to Uncle Kyoya, Mika-chan."

Mika smiled at Kyoya, before saying, "Hi, Kyo-tan!" I giggled. For some reason, Mika liked him.

"Hello," he replied with his polite, Host smile.

"Would you like me to take her off your hands, Rika-dono?" Azumi asked.

"Sure. She still needs to eat dinner. And keep her awake until bedtime," I said. "And if Akane returns, she can join us anytime. Oh and if you see Onee-chan, tell her she can join us too."

Azumi nodded.

_Ding-dong!_

"See Kyoya!" Tamaki was waving a picture furiously in front of his best friend. "Cute, right? Isn't she so cute? She's gonna be six months old in two more weeks!"

"We wanna see too, Tama-chan!" Mitsukuni said.

"Look, look!" Tamaki held the picture out for us to see. Their daughter was a cute little girl with golden hair and Haruhi's deep brown eyes.

"Gosh she's adorable," I said. "Your genes are too good!"

"Aw, everyone else is already here?" Hikaru asked.

"Hey, long time no see!" Kaoru called. The two slung their arms around Tamaki, peering at the picture.

"Oh, cute kid," Hikaru said. "When are we going to meet her?"

"Yeah, bring her over to visit sometime," Kaoru said.

"Hey, since everyone's here, let's eat!" I said.

* * *

><p>"How's your wife doing, Kyoya?" I asked as we sat down in the dining room.<p>

"The morning sickness isn't as bad anymore," he replied.

"Have you picked out names yet?" Tamaki asked.

"Isn't it still a bit early?" Kaoru said.

"Do you even know the gender yet?" Hikaru said.

"It's never too early to pick names!" Tamaki said. "Why, the moment I found out Haruhi was pregnant-"

"We don't want to hear it!" the twins yelled with a bored expression. Tamaki looked crestfallen and turned to Haruhi with tears in his eyes.

"Haruhi-"

Her apathetic stare silenced him.

"So how are your love lives going, Hikaru, Kaoru?" I asked the twins.

"Ehh," Hikaru replied, as his gaze shifted away from us. Kaoru just blushed.

"It's seem to be fine to me," Kyoya said. "Seeing as-"

"Stop, stop!" Hikaru held up a hand. "I wanna say it."

"Say what?" Tamaki asked. Everyone leaned in, eager to hear whatever it was Hikaru had to say.

"We're getting married soon," Hikaru said, blushing lightly.

"Wow!" Haruhi said. "Congrats, Hikaru!"

"Thanks," he replied with a smile. "Oh, and everyone but Tamaki is invited."

"What?" Tamaki called, slamming a hand on the table. "Why?"

The twins started giggling. "Tono would ruin the wedding, that's why."

"Yeah, remember when you got drunk at Honey-senpai and Rika-senpai's wedding?" Haruhi asked.

Tamaki's face turned bright red in embarrassment. "I-I won't do it this time!"

"And then at Mori-senpai's wedding," Hikaru said.

"You came dressed-" Kaoru couldn't continue the thought and just burst out laughing. Oh God. I almost choked on my drink trying not to laugh. Mitsukuni giggled at the memory too.

"B-But, it was a traditional Japanese wedding!" Tamaki protested. Even Kyoya was shaking his head. "Well then, who's gonna be your best man, Hikaru?"

"Kaoru, duh," Hikaru replied.

Tamaki's face was progressively turning red. "Th-Then who's gonna give a toast?"

"Isn't that the best man's right?" Kyoya asked with a small smile. He glanced over at me. "Oh right, Rika. How's Akane-san doing? I haven't seen her in a while."

"Pretty good," I replied. "She adopted a seven-year-old kid. Did you hear about that?"

"Really?" Tamaki asked. He seemed quite happy about the change of topic. "A boy? A girl?"

"Boy," I said. "And now she's thinking of adopting another one."

"Why?" Hikaru asked. "Isn't that just troublesome?"

I shrugged. "She likes kids."

"Speaking of kids," Haruhi said. "What are you guys gonna name your kid?" She pointed at my big belly.

"Um…" I turned to Mitsukuni.

"It's a boy. Any suggestions?" Mitsukuni asked, grinning.

"Hm…" Everyone quieted as they thought.

"The first character of Mitsukuni's name can be pronounced as Hikari or Kou," Takashi said quietly.

"Kou sounds good to me," I said, glancing at Mitsukuni.

He smiled. "You pick Rika."

"But I came up with Mika's name," I said.

"And it was great!" he replied, beaming.

"Haninozuka Kou," Hikaru said.

"Hikari sounds too much like Hikaru," Kaoru said. "And it's not a very impressive name either."

"How about Mitsuo?" Tamaki asked.

"Oh, not bad," I replied.

"It could be Kouki," Kyoya said.

"Or Kouichi," Haruhi suggested. "Since he will be your first son."

"Yeah he's gonna be the first and last son," I said, sending Mitsukuni a playful glare. "Just who persuaded me to go through with this again? I was happy with one kid."

Mitsukuni grinned. "But don't you feel bad for Mika-chan? She'll be so lonely all by herself."

"She'll have Tamaki and Haruhi's kids," I said.

"Who said we're having another kid?" Haruhi said.

"We should, Haruhi!" Tamaki said, eyes lighting up.

"And Kyoya's kid," I continued. Kyoya just cleared his throat. "And Takashi's kid. Oh and Chika and Satoshi's kids to play with."

"But like this," Mitsukuni said. "One kid can take over your side and another can take over my side of the family. Like how you and your sister split it."

It was the same argument he'd given me when we'd had this discussion. And it wasn't like I hated kids, so I'd just agreed.

"Kouichi then?" I asked with a quiet sigh. "Mitsukuni, you're too good at this."

He laughed and kissed me on the cheek. "Love you Rika."

"I love you too," I mumbled, blushing madly.

"You two, after all these years," Hikaru said.

"Are still so lovey-dovey," Kaoru finished with a disappointed-sounding sigh.

"Haven't you two seen Haruhi and Tamaki?" I asked, gesturing at the couple.

They stared at me with their "duh" expression. "What do you think?"

We laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>The Host Club is a lot of fun to write. But their conversations generally get taken over by the twins and Tamaki. And that occasional comment from Haruhi or Kyoya. And Mori!<strong>

**Well, thanks for all the reviews, follows, and faves! This has been an incredible experience. I don't know if I'll be writing another fanfic. I want to write original stuff, so if you could, please check out my fictionpress account! It's under the same username and I have a link to my account on my profile page here. **

**Thank you. :) I'll miss everyone! Wish you all happy holidays!**


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